NBA Rumors: Phoenix Suns Must Trade Steve Nash Now to Further Rebuilding Effort

The Phoenix Suns must trade Steve Nash before the deadline if they want to build for the future starting this offseason.

Their future Hall of Fame point guard keeps them relevant enough to miss out on a top spot in the draft, but not dangerous enough to make the playoffs.

Dan Bickley, a reporter for The Arizona Republic, agrees. He writes,

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The good times are gone. Empty seats weep silently. And after all these wonderful years of service, Steve Nash suddenly has become a liability. The Suns must trade him soon, before he can turn a flawed, talent-deprived team into something mediocre.

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Nash is still at the top of his game, a remarkable feat for someone who is approaching their 38th birthday. He’s averaging 14.5 points and 10.4 assists while shooting 53.5 percent from the field and 37.5 from deep.

Those amazing statistics are keeping the 6-11 Suns somewhat relevant, with big wins over the Knicks, Celtics and Trail Blazers this season.

However, it’s going to take a miracle for Phoenix to make the postseason and they are absolutely not contenders.

No one, (aside from the two-time MVP) on the Suns’ roster is capable of pushing this team to the next level.

There isn’t anyway that a franchise could realistically compete for a title with Robin Lopez, Ronnie Price and Channing Frye logging significant minutes.

This is why Nash has to go this season. The Suns could easily pawn him off to a contender for a draft pick or two.

One option that Bickley brought up would be returning Nash to the Dallas Mavericks, where he excelled from 1998 until 2004, when he rejoined the Suns.

The “lopsided exchange” would be something like Jason Terry’s expiring contract and a late first-round draft pick, but it would allow for Phoenix to finally bottom out and rebuild.

There is no point lingering in the middle of the pack in the NBA. If the Suns aren't competing, they are rebuilding, and it’s better for their future to finish last and get a chance at one of the top picks, especially in this stacked upcoming draft.

Phoenix has to move on from the Steve Nash era, and the only way to do that is to hit rock bottom and hope they find a new franchise player come late June.