Will Steve Nash be traded? The market is there
Jan 21, 2011, 6:47 PM | Updated: 7:05 pm
It seems that the biggest question facing the Phoenix Suns so far through this transitional season has been whether or not to trade point guard Steve Nash. ESPN NBA analyst Ric Bucher has joined those speculating and believes that trading the face of the franchise is the right move.
“I believe, quite honestly, that’s what they needed to do last summer,” Bucher said on Sports 620 KTAR’s Doug and Wolf Friday morning. “The Phoenix Suns actually have moved in a different direction. They just haven’t moved the entire ship in that direction and Steve Nash, as a result, is sort of left holding the bags.”
The Phoenix Suns (19-21), coming off their surprise trip to the Western Conference Finals last season, added seven new players on their roster via offseason moves and a three-player trade with the Orlando Magic.
The constant through the whole process has been Nash and will still be Nash, unless he is moved before the February 24 trade deadline.
“Do I think he’s going to get traded? No, I don’t think he’s going to get traded. Is there a market? Absolutely,” Bucher said, clearing up his prediction.
There would be a lot of questions if Nash ends up in a different uniform when March rolls around and Bucher has included most of those into his thought process. He just doesn’t believe the market would warrant the controversial move based on past decisions (Amare Stoudemire, anyone?), how the fans would react and, ultimately, the impact of the players the Suns would receive in return.
“As challenged as the offseason decisions were and the pieces that they brought in and how they don’t quite work, Steve Nash is still making magic with the pieces that he has around him,” Bucher said. “If you take him out of that equation, I don’t know who you trade for that comes in and keeps it anywhere close to where it is.”
