Steve Nash: What Would Star PG's Future Look Like with Toronto Raptors?

When we enter a period of free agency, the consensus around the NBA is that the best players available will sign with the teams best suited for a deep postseason run. In the case of superstar and future Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash, that couldn't be the furthest thing from the truth.

While the possibility remains that Nash signs with a title contender, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports that the Toronto Raptors have offered Nash a three-year contract worth $36 million. While Nash's decision to accept the offer has not yet been reported, previously reported statements have Nash favoring the Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns.

Three teams who finished outside of the postseason.

As for his future in Toronto, Nash does appear to be interested. The question on everyone's mind, however, is what will happen once he signs? What will the Toronto Raptors become and what can we expect of Nash in his native Canada?

To put it simply, big things.

While Andre Bargnani may be excluded from the conversation of the game's elite scorers, he is indeed one of them. He's one of the few seven-footers who can consistently hit the three and is much better from the post than most believe. While he leaves plenty of room for improvement on the defensive end and on the glass, the Raptors managed just fine with him in 2012 as the team ranked 10th in the NBA in scoring defense.

Alongside Bargnani could be the fifth overall draft choice in the 2011 NBA draft, Jonas Valanciunas.

Valanciunas won the 2011 FIBA European Young Player of the Year award and won his Lithuanian league's MVP award in 2012. He's an outstanding interior defender whose physicality and tenacity goes against everything we know about European imports to the NBA.

With a two-headed monster in the frontcourt and rising star DeMar DeRozan on the perimeter, the Raptors are in a better position to win than most believe. They added a top-tier jump shooter and perimeter defender in Terrence Ross with the eighth pick in the 2012 NBA draft, thus securing two needs with one pick.

Adding Nash would simply expedite the learning curve and turn the Raptors into winners before we know it.

On a team that preaches defense and does as great a job as any in the NBA at executing on that end, the points are what's needed. Considering Jose Calderon isn't too great of a defender himself, Nash's defensive shortcomings should be a non-factor as he runs the offense to perfection.

Expect highlight-reel plays, quintessential execution and an elevated understanding of the offensive fundamentals. What can we expect from Steve Nash in Toronto?

The playoffs.