How could the Phoenix Suns let Steve Nash go? And, to facilitate a trade of their franchise guard to the rival Los Angeles Lakers, no less.

While fans are understandably wrestling with emotions of bitterness and betrayal after Nash's shocking departure, ESPN NBA insider Ric Bucher urges the Suns faithful to look at the bigger picture.

"I believe that while certainly, Suns fans, this is probably a tough thing to swallow, from a league perspective, there's currency that [Suns Owner] Robert Sarver has gained in handling it this way," Bucher told Arizona Sports 620's Doug and Wolf Show Monday.

Bucher thinks the level of respect Sarver showed Nash in working with him to find the right landing spot is a quality other free agents will admire and could entice them to sign with Phoenix.

"What he did and this is what I've seen great teams do, when they send the player some place, they don't punish him. They don't send him some place that he doesn't want to go. The good ones really try to find something that's palatable and they try to work with the player and that carries a lot of weight with free agents and with agents," Bucher said.

Certainly, the wound is too fresh for Suns fans to find any silver lining in this trade. However, down the road, they might come to realize it didn't turn out so bad after all.