NBA Trade Speculation: Why Time Has Come for Phoenix Suns to Trade Steve Nash

For the past seven seasons, Steve Nash has been the fearless leader of the Phoenix Suns. In that time, he has made five All-Star teams and won two MVP awards. At one point, the team was a perennial contender, as Nash and teammates Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion were part of one of the deadliest offenses in the league thanks to then-coach Mike D'Antoni's run-and-gun style. This core group made it to the Western Conference Finals twice, but could never get further than that.

The feeling in Phoenix has changed over the past few years. D'Antoni left in 2008 to become the coach of the New York Knicks, and Stoudemire followed him there two years later. In D'Antoni's last season, Marion was also traded. New coach Alvin Gentry led the team to another Western Conference Finals in 2010, but the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Suns in six games.

The last remaining player of the golden D'Antoni era is the 37-year-old Nash, who has one year and about $11.7 million remaining on his current contract. Despite his age, he has still put up great numbers, as he averaged 14.7 points last season and led the NBA with 11.4 assists per game.

Still, as beloved as Nash is in Phoenix, the future Hall of Fame point guard has been the subject of various trade rumors, though the Suns front office has repeatedly insisted that Nash isn't going anywhere.

Yet, given the overall disappointing season Phoenix had in 2010-2011, perhaps it is time to trade away Nash and rebuild from the ground up.  Here are some reasons why moving him could be a good idea.

Salary

As mentioned before, Nash is due to make about $11.7 million in the final year of his contract.  That makes him the second most expensive player on the Suns, second only to Vince Carter and his $18.3 million deal, which also expires at the end of next season.

Given how the new collective bargaining agreement may include a hard salary cap, some teams could be forced to part with their heavier contracts.  Since Nash is cheaper and has proven to be a more effective player than Carter in recent years, trading him to another team could prove easier than trying to unload Carter.

Which brings us to the next point...

Trade Value

Next year, Nash will turn 38.  That is an age where most professional athletes start slowing down and begin their decline.  Such is not the case with Nash, who still is able to put up great numbers for his position game after game.

Look at it this way. For the past two seasons, Nash has led the NBA in assists per game.  Over the course of his current tenure with Phoenix (he spent the first two seasons of his career with them as well), he has led the league in that category five times.

On top of that, his career numbers the past seven years are just, well, great. Since returning to Phoenix, he has averaged 18.7 points and just under 11 assists per game. He has managed to stay healthy too, missing just 31 games from the 2004-2005 campaign up until now.

That being said, if the Suns did indeed look to trade Nash, team management could easily ask for some top young talent and first-round draft picks in return.  Despite his age, Nash appears to still have plenty of gas in the tank and has what it takes to be a leader and consistent contributor to any team.

The Suns Need a Fresh Start

During the Mike D'Antoni years, the Suns were one of the deadliest offensive powerhouses in the NBA. They consistently scored over 100 points every night and were one of the most fun teams to watch. Yet, while the Suns scored a lot of points, they also gave up quite a bit. In 2005 and 2006, the two seasons under D'Antoni in which they made the Conference Finals, the Suns gave up an average of 103 points per game despite scoring 109 themselves. Defense wasn't exactly the team's strong suit.

That being said, while disappointing, it wasn't exactly a surprise when more well-rounded teams like the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers eliminated Phoenix from the playoffs.

Given how Nash has come so close to the NBA Finals multiple times with Phoenix but has always come up short, it may be time for the front office to consider a changing of the guard.  Nash is a great player, but can lack of defensive coaching be all to blame for the Suns' shortcomings?

Simply put, it could be a good idea for the Suns to start fresh and rebuild from the ground up.  Drafting Markieff Morris (pictured) was a good start, but is he a strong enough player that he could have the same type of relationship with Nash that the veteran point guard had with Amare Stoudemire when they played together?

This leads us to the next and very important point.

The Band Is Broken Up

Since Mike D'Antoni left 2008, the Phoenix Suns have not, by any means, been a bad team.  They were in the Western Conference Finals two seasons ago and have still managed to compete in a tough conference. Still, compared to the teams that made the West Finals under D'Antoni, the one that Alvin Gentry took that far was basically a shell of the previous squads.

While Nash and Stoudemire remained the two top players in the lineup, the supporting cast just was not the same as the original group.  The trigger-happy Jason Richardson started at shooting guard while an aging Grant Hill took over at small forward. At center, Channing Frye and Robin Lopez shared the duties.

After being eliminated by the Lakers, Stoudemire became a free agent and joined the New York Knicks. For lack of better word, the band was officially broken up.

Then last year, for some reason or another, the Suns front office decided to basically gut the team early in the season.  Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu and Earl Clark were traded to the Orlando Magic for Mickael Pietrus, Marcin Gortat and Vince Carter.  Gortat showed flashes of potential off the bench, but Pietrus was a non-factor and Carter was a general disappointment.

That being said, I think it's a pretty safe bet that Nash would be better suited on another team if he wants to win a ring before he retires. The Suns right now are good and have potential, but they just don't have the fire nor the "oomph" of the squads of yesteryear. 

Nash Deserves to Retire with a Ring

If he were to retire today, Steve Nash could be considered by many to be the best NBA player to retire without a ring. With career averages of 14.6 and 8.5 assists per game, not to mention great career field goal percentages (.489, .429 three-pointers), he would be a surefire Hall-of-Famer.

Yet, with all of Nash's accomplishments, something would still be missing.  Despite his successful career, that elusive NBA championship would find itself absent from his resume. In 15 seasons, Nash has never once been to the NBA Finals, though he has gotten as far as the Conference Finals four times.

While the Suns may still be contenders with their current roster, they simply do not have the necessary tools to bring Nash that championship he so strongly desires.  His love for Phoenix may keep him there for the remainder of his contract, but there are teams out there so close to making the NBA Finals that could use his services.

It would make sense for the Suns financially to trade him, not to mention the draft picks they could demand in return.  They say that all good things must come to an end at some point, and such is the case with Steve Nash and his time with the Phoenix Suns.