Burns: Why the Nash extension?

I drove by a billboard the other day promoting a concert with Earth Wind and Fire and Chicago. And I thought…why?

I see Steve Nash and the Suns have agreed on a contract extension, and again I think…why?

I just don’t understand why Steve Nash wants to be here and I don’t understand why the Suns were so hell bent on keeping him.

Alright, scratch that. I understand the Suns…but only to a certain degree. They’re trying to maintain relevance. Sell seats. And the way they see it, a two-time MVP/fan favorite/face-of-the-franchise type player in Nash does just that. In a star driven league, he’s their brightest (albeit their oldest too).

But remember what Steve Kerr said when the season ended? “I don’t know that this team, as constituted, can be a championship team, I don’t think so actually.”

So how can you possibly expect me to be excited about this extension when this team is essentially completely intact? Their constitution remains unchanged. If the GM didn’t think they were a championship team then, how can it possibly stand to reason that bringing everybody back (swapping out Shaq for Channing Frye) makes them one now?

Answer: It doesn’t. They’ll be good; good enough to be a playoff team. But they’re not great, they’re not a championship team. But they’re content to be good, and folks, I can’t get behind that.

In some ways they remind me of bands like Earth, Wind and Fire. Chicago. REO Speedwagon and Styx. Those bands, as constituted, aren’t among the best bands in the world. But they’re good enough to keep their loyal fans coming back for more. Or at least, more of the same.

What I truly don’t understand is why Nash would want to be a part of this. Same with Grant Hill. This is not an elite team anymore. Don’t these guys desire to be a part of something that truly has the potential to be special? What the allure is for both of these aging, championship-less players is beyond me.

And what I find most compelling is the lack of a no-trade clause. The Suns can ship out Nash whenever they want. Like a built-in “eject” button just in case both sides come to the realization they made a mistake.

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