Wooing Steve Nash? Trail Blazers giving it a shot
Apr 5, 2012, 3:30 PM | Updated: 4:46 pm
Steve Nash is a wanted man.
The free agent-to-be figures to have his share of
suitors when his contract expires this summer, and it
appears the Portland Trail Blazers are already getting in
line to acquire the point guard’s services.
According to The Oregonian, team president Larry
Miller said the plan is to add some big-name players in
the offseason, and it would seem the team’s biggest star,
LaMarcus Aldridge, has already chatted with Nash.
Earlier this season, at the All-Star Game in Orlando,
Aldridge said he planted a seed with Nash about signing in
Portland.“Just messing with him about coming here,” Aldridge said.
“I was throwing little stuff out there.”Aldridge said he was impressed with Nash’s personality —
“he’s nice” — and the two developed a playful banter
throughout the weekend about Nash coming to Portland.“It was like a running joke,” Aldridge said.
But clearly, a rapport was established.
The article goes on, saying Miller told them the team’s
top priority this summer is finding a point guard, and
after New Jersey’s Deron Williams, Nash is the best one on
the market.
Now, does that mean the two-time MVP is destined for the
City of Roses? Not at all.
The 38-year-old has maintained that a return to the Suns
is possible, and the team has expressed a desire to bring
him back.
However, Nash also said he would
like to sign a three-year contract, and depending on
the price, the Suns may be unwilling to make the
commitment.
In that case, a chance to run the pick-and-roll with the
26-year-old Aldridge, who is averaging 21.6 points and 8.1
rebounds per game — as well as for an owner who has shown
a willingness to spend — could be pretty enticing.
