NBA Trade Rumors: 10 Reasons the Phoenix Suns Should Not Trade Steve Nash
There has been speculation that the Phoenix Suns are looking to trade two time MVP winner Steve Nash for several years and I don't see the team trading him this year. They can not take the huge hole that the loss of Nash would create.
He is the person that makes the Suns go and without him, I believe, the team will do even worse than they are now. If you want to hear my 10 reasons why he should stay, read on.
No. 10: He Is One of the Game's Most Exciting Players
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No one can discount the fact that Nash is one of the most exciting players in the league. He doesn't have the athleticism of LeBron James or physical stature of Dwight Howard, but he is one of the craftiest players in the league.
He can always be counted on for a couple passes that make your head spin. Seemingly impossible passes that he makes look easy and effortless.
He has great appeal to the fans and he brings people into the stands, and after all this is also a business in addition to entertainment.
No. 9: The Suns Would Have To Justify Trading Away the Face of the Franchise
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Steve Nash is undoubtedly the face of the Phoenix Suns franchise, when people think of the Suns they think of Steve Nash.
How would the Suns justify to people that they traded away the face of the franchise? I honestly don't think the fans would be very happy unless the trade was extremely favorable for the Suns.
My example for this is Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL. Peyton is the face of the Colts and is a free agent this offseason.
What if the Colts did not bring him back? How would people react to that? There is now doubt people would be very frustrated in losing one of the best in the game.
This is how the Steve Nash situation is, there is no way they could justify trading away Nash unless the deal was extremely one sided for Phoenix.
No. 8: The Suns Would Have Trouble Replacing Nash's Production
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Steve Nash is currently averaging 16.8 points, 10.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds and over a three pointer a game. It wold be very hard to replace those numbers and that doesn't even include his influence in the locker room.
One of the more prevalent trade rumors is that Nash will be headed to New York for Raymond Felton and more. Felton is having a career year while averaging 18.3 points, 8.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.86 steals per game, but one has to wonder how much of it is Felton and how much of it is the system he is in.
He is no doubt talented but he is playing way above his career numbers.
The point is that Nash is still producing at his age and is showing no signs of slowing up, so why trade him?
No. 7: Trading Nash Wouldn't Make Anything Better in Phoenix
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Would trading away Nash really help the team? In my opinion, not at all.
There is no way the Suns would be better if they traded away Steve Nash, they would lose way too much. He makes the Suns go and without him I feel the season would be even worse than it already is.
Management needs to think hard and long if this would help the team win a title; if they aren't close with Nash how will they be without him?
No. 6: Nash Is Very Well Liked and Respected in Phoenix
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He is no doubt one of the leaders of the team along with Grant Hill and, like Hill, is highly respected and liked.
Never in all his years in the NBA have I heard of a time when people said they don't respect him. What is not too like about Nash? He's funny, a nice guy and loves to pass the ball. I have played basketball for over a decade and I can say from experience that having a pass first point guard is a ton of fun. I can only imagine how much fun it is to play with someone with as much skill as Steve Nash, all they have to do is catch and finish because Nash will get the ball to them somehow.
I imagine that if Nash does get traded there would be nothing but praise for him out of the Phoenix Suns organization. Evidence of his importance and respect is shown today after the Suns win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, when Jared Dudley said, "We go if Steve goes, you can't put it any other way." and later said, "He's our leader and we go as far as he goes."
No. 5: The Suns Can Easily Get on a Roll
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People seem to forget that the Suns were tied 2-2 with the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals before losing game five in a heart breaker and then game six.
They were neck to neck with the eventual champs.
The fact is that the team has talent and has underachieved greatly so far this season. With a roster that consists of players like Steve Nash and Vince Carter and has one of the deepest benches in the league, there is no way that they continue at the pace they are at now.
And their schedule for the rest of January is very favorable. They have 11 games remaining and six of them are against sub .500 teams. Which means that now would be a good time for the Suns to get on a run and gain confidence.
No. 4: The Roster Is Full of Talent
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The Suns have a good team and with the current roster should at least be in contention for a playoff spot.
While they aren't championship contenders, they are at least good enough to be one of the lower seeds out West. They are currently tied for ninth place in the Western Conference and have played inconsistent all year. There are nights where they play amazing and then nights where the are the exact opposite.
The team needs to do the little things, like not allow second chance points and capitalize off of opponents' mistakes and they could easily be a lot better.
13 of the teams' 20 losses have been by 10 points or less, which shows that the team is in most games so it's not like the team is getting blown out in their losses. They have all the tools to make a run.
No. 3: He Wants To Stay
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According to an Arizona Republic report by Paul Coro, Nash has no desire to go and has made it well known how he feels.
Nash says, "I signed up for this, I'm committed to trying to build a team here. I'm still committed. I love the guys. I think we've got potential but we've had so much change and haven't been able to put it together. If we want to point fingers, we've got to point some at ourselves and say, We haven't put it together."
Why trade him when he means so much to the team and he doesn't want to leave?
No. 2: The Fans in the Desert Are Dying For a Title
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When the Suns went on their run last year, people had a legit reason to talk title and people were absolutely excited.
This picture shows how much the fans care and with a down year for other major Arizona sports teams, like the Arizona Cardinals and the Arizona Diamondbacks, they are looking a reason to cheer.
Hopefully the Suns can give them something to cheer for and hopefully with Steve Nash at the helm because Nash wants very much to bring a title to the city.
No. 1: Steve Nash Is Steve Nash
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He is a sure hall of fame player and still, at the young age of 36, is one of the best in the business today.
He is a great leader, player and more importantly a great person. He wants to bring the team its first title and he is the perfect person to do so. With Nash at the helm, the Suns will always be competitive and hopefully, they can win a title.
Like I said earlier, the loss would be too great to be worth it. He makes the Suns engine go and like Jared Dudley said, "He's our leader..." Honestly how do you replace him fully?
