Steve Nash’s free agency is going to be interesting.
Nobody would really begrudge him if he went and chased a ring, but if he’s going to do that in the most logical place, Miami, he’ll be doing it for the veteran minimum. He could go to the Knicks, Lakers, pretty much wherever he wants if he will play for very little money (by standards of what he could earn elsewhere).
But does he want to play for a Heat team with two ball-dominating players? Or the Knicks with ball-dominating Carmelo Anthony? Or the Lakers with Kobe. Does he want to play for a little more than the minimum? If so his choices narrow and the number of title contenders drops fast (maybe the Pacers with him, maybe).
Or, he could get a big payday to stay in Phoenix where he is comfortable (and has family).
More and more, there is a buzz around the league that Nash may look at his choices and say “there’s no place like home.” Smart money still says he leaves, but it’s far from a lock. The Suns are not contenders and they need to improve the team to keep him, but the team knows that.
Through it all, the Suns have confidence, as Alvin Gentry told the Arizona Republic.
“I feel good about it,” coach Alvin Gentry said about retaining Nash. “We just need a player we can throw the ball to at the end of the game, who can get to the foul line, get us a basket or make the right play.
“I think it’s a little unfair for me to ask Steve Nash to do that night in and night out, not just for 66 games, but for 82 games next year. If we’re fortunate enough to have Steve back, and we’re going to do everything we possibly can to do that, I just think he needs some help.”
There are just not a lot of those players out there. But none of Nash’s options are perfect.
It’s going to be interesting.
