NBA Free Agency 2012: 5 Ways Suns Should Prepare for Steve Nash's Departure

Steve Nash has played 10 of his 16 NBA seasons with the Phoenix Suns, yet he has never made it past the Western Conference Finals. 

After Phoenix failed to reach the playoffs for the second consecutive season (for the first time since the late 1980s) in 2012, all indications now point to the 38-year-old point guard leaving the valley for a title contender this July. 

The two-time MVP has been the heart of the Suns for the past eight years, and would be sorely missed by a team that is a lock for the lottery without him.

So, how can the Suns avoid a seemingly inevitable collapse next season without No. 13? 

Join Bleacher Report as we take a look at five ways the Phoenix Suns should prepare themselves for the departure of Steve Nash this summer. 

Draft a Point Guard This June

Phoenix has no long-term point guard replacements currently on its roster, and that means that the Suns' first-round pick this June should be spent on a young floor general.

Weber State's Damian Lillard is rising up draft boards around the country and is projected to go in the lottery. Most scouts and experts describe Lillard as a scoring point guard who needs to improve on his vision in the open court, a deficiency that surely won't sell Suns fans who have been treated to the passing brilliance of Steve Nash for the past eight seasons.

Lillard averaged 24.5 points, five rebounds and four assists per game last season at Weber State, shooting better than 46 percent from the field and nearly 41 percent from downtown. Meanwhile North Carolina's Kendall Marshall averaged nearly 10 assists per game last season for the Tar Heels, and proved to be one of, if not the best distributors in all of college basketball.

The X-factor between the two is passing strength. The vision of Marshall makes him the best option for Phoenix without question. If Marshall or Lillard don't pan out for the Suns however, than Washington's Tony Wroten Jr. could be a promising option for Phoenix in the late lottery.

Target a Capable Shooting Guard in Free Agency

The Shannon Brown experiment in Phoenix produced mixed results, but none that suggest the high-flyer is the answer for the Suns at shooting guard. Brown averaged 11 points per game on 42 percent shooting from the field last season and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Potential unrestricted free agent upgrades include Portland's Jamal Crawford, Boston's Ray Allen and Los Angeles Clippers guard Nick Young.

Crawford averaged 14 points in less than 27 minutes per game last season for the Trail Blazers, but shot a troublesome 38 percent from the field and 31 percent from beyond the arc. Allen and Young each averaged 14.2 points per game, but Boston's veteran shot an impressive 45 percent from three-point distance in 46 regular season games for the Celtics.

Allen will be 37 this July though, making him a proven, but extremely risky target. Young and Crawford would be the better options long-term, but without Steve Nash delivering them the ball, they could struggle every bit as much as Brown.

Cut Ties with Aaron Brooks

Although the reality of Steve Nash signing with a contender this summer and the Suns welcoming back a familiar face to fill the void is a very real one, the presence of scoring point guard Aaron Brooks next season will do little to save the Suns from their third-straight lottery appearance in 2013.

Brooks has always struggled to get others involved, averaging just 4.2 assists per game in 25 games with the Suns in 2010-11. After a season playing in China, Brooks could potentially return to the Suns, especially if Nash signs elsewhere this July.

The 27-year-old has a $3 million qualifying offer for next season with Phoenix, but Brooks would likely be competing with a first-round draft pick and an emerging Sebastian Telfair for the starting role. Brooks would certainly have the edge in that battle, but his breakout 2009-10 season with the Houston Rockets (in which he won the NBA's Most Improved Player Award) seems like an eternity ago.

Drop the Dead Weight, Add Cap Space

The Phoenix Suns only have $30.7 million on the books for next season, and that means that they can do some spending this offseason, especially if Nash doesn't resign the reported two-year, $20 million deal the Suns have offered.

NBA reporter Alex Kennedy on Thursday:

"

Sources say Phoenix will likely offer Steve Nash two years, $20 million. However, I think Nash leaves money on the table to join contender.

— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) May 10, 2012"

The two messiest contracts on the Suns' books though belong to Josh Childress and Hakim Warrick. The two combined for 9.3 points per game last season, but will earn a combined $11.1 million next season, yikes.

Unfortunately Phoenix will struggle to find trade partners willing to take on such ridiculous contracts, and that means they'll likely have to wait another two or three years until those deals come off their books.

But it goes without saying that if the Suns can dump those two contracts on another team before they expire, they should do so to avoid a lengthy and strenuous rebuilding period. Outside of the core consisting of Marcin Gortat, Jared Dudley, Channing Frye and Markieff Morris, everyone is expendable on the Phoenix roster.

Move on and Brace for the Next Era of Suns Basketball

The Phoenix Suns franchise has a number of quality traits to offer a free agent superstar. After all, the Suns landed Steve Nash in the summer of 2004 despite winning just 33 games the previous season. In 1992 they traded for Charles Barkley, and rose to prominence immediately, making an NBA Finals appearance in 1993.

Superstars love what the city of Phoenix has to offer, and this time around the Suns boast a player-friendly coach in Alvin Gentry, and one of the league's most talented supporting casts and group of role players, which includes the likes of Jared Dudley and Channing Frye.

It won't be an overnight solution for the Suns, but if they keep their options open and their expectations high, Phoenix will be back challenging for the NBA title in no time.

Follow Phoenix Suns Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke for more on the Suns.