The free agency period is always interesting. This year most of the spotlight will be on Dwight Howard and where he takes his talents to next, but there are several veteran players like Steve Nash who are on the market.
Nash’s era in Phoenix is most likely over after the Suns draft Kendall Marshall, a true point guard, but he still has some gas left in the tank and there will be multiple suitors for his services.
Here are the three most likely destinations from Steve Nash:
Toronto Raptors
Nash signing with the Raptors makes sense for both sides. For Nash, he is from Canada and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind playing near home to cap off his career. And for the Raptors, they could use a veteran point guard like Nash. Not only because he has seen all the ins and outs of the league, but because he could guide the younger players on their roster, as the Raptors only have four players with more than eight years of experience in the league.
However, when Nash sits down to make the decision on where he will play his final years of professional basketball, he’s going to face the fact that Toronto is not the team to sign with if a championship ring is what he really craves. While the Raptors have some good young pieces, suitors such as New York or Miami already have rosters that can compete for a title this upcoming year. And in the end, that’s what might persuade Nash to sign with a contender.
According to a source, the Raptors are reportedly going to make an offer to Nash worth $12 million per year when the free agency period begins.
Rumor: Raptors to offer $12 million dollars a year to Nash….woah.
New York Knicks
Prior to last season’s start, the Knicks looked like a contender, on paper that was. With two of the league’s best scorers in Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, a defensive stopper in Tyson Chandler, and a solid perimeter defender in Landry Fields, the Knicks’ only glaring weakness was at point guard.
Being a former coach of Nash, Mike D’Antoni made a big push to swing a deal for him right around the trade deadline last season. However, a deal was never composed and the Knicks were forced to just play out the season with what they had.
The point guard position was ran by a cast of players. Whether it Iman Shumpert, Toney Douglas, or Baron Davis, none of them were consistent enough to permanently takeover the role. While Jeremy Lin had his month of glory which ultimately propelled the Knicks back into the playoff race, he suffered a season ending injury which proved to be a significant loss for New York.
However, the Knicks will get another shot at Nash’s services in free agency. And he could very well be the piece that launches the Knicks deep into the playoffs. As opposed to Carmelo Anthony bringing the ball up the court, Nash would be leading the breaks which would undoubtedly lead to better results.
The two-time MVP could unquestionably transform the Knicks into a dangerous team.
Miami Heat
Either the Heat or going to target a point guard or a shooting guard this summer to replace Mike Miller. My gut says they are going to go after Ray Allen, as he has publicly stated that he wants to take his talents to South Beach, but there will be several teams who will be after his services, so my gut could be wrong.
However, Nash could transform the Heat into an even more dominant team or he could completely destroy the flow of the offense.
Nash needs to ball in his hands to make things happen. He doesn’t have a quick enough shot to assume the spot up shooter role, neither is he quick enough to blow past his defenders when he catches the ball on the wing, so for Nash to fit in with the Heat, Lebron and Wade would have to get used to playing without the ball in their hands.
If Nash wants to win a championship, though, his best shot is with the Heat, and I think both Heat general manager Pat Riley, and Nash know that.
