Steve Nash on his way to Los Angeles Lakers through a sign and trade deal – NBA News
The Los Angeles Lakers fans had their deepest desires fulfilled last night when Steve Nash decided to join the franchise through a sign and trade deal with the Phoenix Suns.
The move will see Nash in a Lakers uniform next season, in which he will take the court along side Kobe Bryant in the back court and Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum in the front. The new addition has catapulted the Lakers to championship
contenders almost instantly.
Nash was one of the most sought after free agents this season and was being agressively sought by the New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors and the Dallas Mavericks.
The Knicks were also offering a similar sign and trade deal but Nash ultimately chose the Lakers because he wanted to stay close to Phoenix where his three children reside and also thought he had a better chance of winning a championship
with the Lakers.
Kobe Bryant was one of the biggest supporters of the move and is said to have convinced Nash to sign with the Lakers.
Nash is reported to have accepted a three year deal worth more than $25 million. The Lakers did not have enough salary cap to sign Nash as a free agent and hence went with the sign and trade arrangement. In return for Nash, the
Suns will receive the Lakers first round draft picks for 2013 and 2015, and second round draft picks for 2013 and 2014.
“After talking with (owner) Robert (Sarver) and (president of basketball operations) Lon (Babby) we've agreed that it's time for both of us to move in new directions. I approached them and asked if they would be willing to do a
sign-and-trade deal with L.A. because it is very important to me to stay near my children and family. They were very apprehensive and didn't want to do it. Fortunately for me, they reconsidered,” said Nash while talking to ESPN.com.
The signing of Nash means the Lakers are no longer looking to sign former point guard Ramon Sessions.
Sessions was acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers at the trade deadline last season but opted out of his contract at the end of the season. The Lakers had been having discussions with him regarding a new contract but were not
offering a multiyear deal. The signing of Nash will surely close any negotiations that may still be going on with him.
Nash was quite grateful to the Suns management for trading him to the Lakers after both teams had been staunch enemies during playoff contests over the past few years. He admitted that it was a difficult thing to do for Suns owner
Robert Sarver but his reputation within the management earned him the right to pick the team he wanted to play.
The fact that Nash got the deal he wanted is testament to the fact that there was a great relationship between the player and the team, based on mutual respect.
The Suns had picked up University of North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall with their 13th pick at last year’s NBA draft, hinting that they were moving forward from the Steve Nash era. They have been pusuing some
quality options in the free agency, but with Nash gone, the time for re-building has probably started for them.
Tags: