Steve Nash has no plans to ask for a trade

Don’t expect Steve Nash to ask for a trade.

He hasn’t up to this point, and no matter how bad things
may eventually get in the desert, he’s not planning on
doing so in the future.

In an
interview with ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, Nash said the
idea of moving him to a contender is a lot more difficult
than people might think.

“One, it’s not my style. Maybe I’m old school, but I feel
like that’s not my place to give up on my team, give up on
my teammates. I signed a contract and made a commitment,”
he said. “And two, I don’t feel it’s like choosing a
restaurant. It’s got to be a situation that works for two
teams. And I don’t know how simple that is. But before we
even get to that part of it, I just feel that I owe it to
my teammates to stay committed to them. I feel that I owe
it to the fans and the organization to fight.”

So, Nash will remain a Phoenix Sun, at least until his
contract runs out after this season. His goal, he said in
the interview, is to get back in mid-season form as soon
as possible, helping the team win as many games as it can.

And while fans may want to see the Suns part with their
leader in an effort to hasten the rebuilding process,
President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby told Stein
there are no plans to do so.

“He’s going into the Hall of Fame in a Suns jersey and I
think he’s earned that,” Babby said, rejecting any premise
which contradicts the notion that keeping Nash is
Phoenix’s Plan A, B, C, etc.
“And it’s not just that he’s earned it, it’s what we want
as an organization. Maybe people say you should do this or
do that, but we disagree. I think treating a player of his
stature in this way is projecting the right values. As
long as he wants to be a Phoenix Sun, he’ll be a Phoenix
Sun.

Babby went on to say the team has told Nash there are no
plans to move him, since they view him as Phoenix Sun now
and forever.

That said, Nash told Stein the plan is to play at least a
couple more seasons after this one, and with his Suns
contract set to expire there is a chance his career won’t
end with him wearing purple and orange. That concept may
push the Suns towards moving their star should they fall
out of the playoff race before the March 15 trade
deadline. Nash understands this, and said, essentially,
that whatever happens will happen.

“I don’t know what the organization’s plans will be,” Nash
said of the next two months, “if they’ll have a change of
heart. We’ve talked about it. At this point they want me
to stay for as long as I want. And I’d like to stay. But
you just never know. This is a business that changes every
day. They could change their philosophy and I understand
that.”

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