Don't think we should trade Nash - would rather try to reload one more time this summer.
And I think we let him walk before trading him, because we'll never get equal value (for what he brings/means to the team) for a one-year rental in a straight-up trade.
Only way I see a Nash trade now is as part of a big retool, involving other talent both coming and going.
Read inklings of this trade proposal (NJ/ORL/PHX) on another site and dismissed it at first. Then played some with the principles, and the more I look at, the more it makes me go 'hmmmm' in terms of meeting the needs of each team. Seeing other versions out there now, but here's my best guess for what each team would look for:
Suns out: Nash, Gortat, Childress
Suns in: Brook Lopez, Marshon Brooks, Mehmet Okur, Jameer Nelson
Magic out: DHoward, Jameer Nelson
Magic in: Nash, Gortat, Kris Humphries
Nets out: Humphries, Okur, Lopez, Brooks
Nets in: DHoward, Childress
Teams might need some other end-of-bench pieces, maybe draft picks, in the mix, but the basic setup above works in the trade machine.
Why?
Suns: If we move Nash, need to dive into the full rebuild. Childress is not worth his contract to us, esp in a rebuild scenario. Gortat is a complete stud, but he's 28. He's in his prime and will be for 4+ years. B. Lopez and Brooks are early 20's. Lopez is more obtainable cause of his foot issues - Suns Training Staff FTW. Sign Batum in the off season. Find a young PnR PG (bring back Dragic?). Outcome? Get a real young center to build around - those are few and far between. Brook sure can score. He's a horrible rebounder, but you get another dirt worker at PF to go along with Markieff. Okur is $10m expiring, maybe wavier him. Jameer is our price of doing business. He has another year at too much $$. But we need a PG, so try him out and look to trade in offseason, or keep for a year. Trade machine says Suns are -4 games with this move.
Magic: If they know they are losing Howard, they have a decision to make - blow it up and rebuild, or salvage what they can. If they could blow it up, they probably would. Trade for BLopez or Bynum and start trading guys in the offseason. The problem is their roster and the contracts. Otis Smith has a ton of veterans on multi-year deals, most making too much $$ for their individual trade value. If they lose Howard, they are screwed. Worse salary cap purgatory than the Suns a few years back. Solution? Bring in veterans who can help them win now without Howard. Enter Nash & Gortat. Add them and Humphries to the current Magic (who are half former Suns) and they are still a playoff team out East. Nash revives their shooters, Gortat and Humphries rebound and defend. Probably can't win a title, but could go deep in the playoffs for a few years until all the contracts are up. Nash gets another shoot at a ring, and Magic keep filling their arena to cover that payroll. Trade Machine says Magic are +4 games.
Nets: They get Howard and DWill to open the arena in Brooklyn. Nuff said. Lopez is the prime trade bait, but they have to pony up since Magic are not sending Turk's contract to them. They take Chilly instead. Okur and Humphries are expiring and are the price of making the salaries work. Trade machine says Nets are +6 games even losing all those players (surprising).
So, totally pie in the sky, but it's late and the trade deadline is approaching. Have to have some fun given the blah that is this short season.
