Steve Nash Appears Stuck In Phoenix (By Choice)

Everyone wants Steve Nash traded to a contender. Everyone, that is, except Steve Nash and the Suns.

No trade noise from Nash - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN

If he asked out after giving eight great years to a Phoenix Suns franchise that has repeatedly made fiscal obligations a priority over championship aspirations, could anyone blame him? "I’m not oblivious to [the chance of] playing on a contender," Nash said. "But at the same time, especially in the position I’m in right now, I feel a sense of loyalty to my team. To go and ask for a trade, it’s not like I’m going to say, ‘Trade me to...’ He made a circling motion with his finger, as if he were about to land it on a destination.

Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver says plan in place to quickly get the team back on competitive level

To their credit, Sarver and President of Basketball Operations Babby were forthright in laying out their plan. Among the highlights: " Steve Nash isn't going anywhere, unless he chooses to leave. " The organization has no interest in a full-scale "blowing up" of the team, because its research shows that process can take from eight to 10 years and it has no interest in waiting that long. " It believes a return to being an elite team will come from better drafting, wise personnel moves via trades and free agency, and taking advantage of the significant amount of salary-cap space it will have available next season. "Our goal is to transition back to elite status," Sarver said, "and to get there sooner than later."

The Suns and the Celtics are in different positions. The Celtics at least believe that they can still win a title. The Suns aren't even pretending that they can. The Suns are going to lose their franchise guy sooner or later anyway, so I don't get their rationale about blowing it up taking years to recover from.

That's also why I can sort of understand the Celtics fans' urge to blow it up in Beantown. "Might as well get it over with" is the thinking of those that don't buy our chances as contenders. Still, we have 3 Steve Nashes and a Rondo to boot (so to speak). So I'm not ready to blow it up yet. Then again, maybe I'm in the same denial that the Suns appear to be in.