NBA Rumors: Steve Nash Would Be Foolish to Stay with Phoenix Suns Beyond Season

Despite rampant trade rumors leading up to the NBA trade deadline, all signs point to Steve Nash playing out the rest of his current contract with the Phoenix Suns.

The bigger question surrounding Nash is, where will he be next season?

When summer arrives, Nash will find himself as a 38-year-old, ringless future Hall of Famer out on the free-agent market, with teams around the league beating down his door to nail down his still considerable services.

According to ESPN's Marc Stein, that list of suitors will likely include the New York Knicks, the Toronto Raptors and the Dallas Mavericks, all of whom have reunions in mind for the eight-time All-Star.

For the Knicks, it'd be with Mike D'Antoni, the head coach with whom he enjoyed so much success during their days together in Phoenix. As great a story as Jeremy Lin has been for New York this season, the chances of him keeping the Knicks from possibly adding Nash stand somewhere between slim and none. 

For the Raptors, it'd be with his home country of Canada, where he's still hailed as a national treasure. He would be worshiped for leading a basketball revival north of the border.

And for the Mavs, it'd be with Dirk Nowitzki. He and Dirk spent six years together in Dallas, turning around a once moribund franchise under the stewardship of Don Nelson and laying the foundation for last year's title run. Nash's return to the Metroplex wouldn't exactly be a bad plan B if Mark Cuban's master plan of signing Deron Williams and Dwight Howard doesn't pan out.

Wherever Nash winds up, be it with a contender (which he should) or a rebuilding club (which he might), he'd do well to run as far away from Phoenix as he can. Team owner Robert Sarver has proven to be nothing short of a complete nincompoop when it comes to running a franchise and making basketball-related decisions. Along with Cleveland Cavaliers boss Dan Gilbert, Sarver is widely considered one of the poster children for this up-and-coming generation of NBA owners who view profitability as a birthright rather than as the product of good management, and who are seemingly unwilling to make the proper financial commitment to win.

True, the Suns have treated Nash well, but they've done little in recent years to show that they're committed to building a competitive club around him.

And contrary to popular belief, Nash won't play forever. At his age, Nash would do well to make the most of his considerable ability by boosting a contender closer to a title rather than wasting his talents on a team in Arizona that isn't likely to sniff the playoffs any time soon.

Then again, Nash might not mind hanging around the Valley of the Sun for a while, for his own good as well as that of his family.

Though, if he does decide to stay with the Suns, he'll have to prepare himself for the rigors of a rebuilding project and the litany of losses that comes with it.

Follow @J0shMart1n