Steve Nash Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers May Soon Acquire Point Guard

December 19th, 2013 at 7:06pm CST by Luke Adams

7:06pm: Pincus reveals in his full story that Mike D’Antoni has acknowledged the Lakers will probably need to add a point guard: “We’ll talk with [GM Mitch Kupchak]” said D’Antoni after practice on Thursday. “We’re looking but we don’t want to just get anybody.” Pincus notes that free agents Darius Morris and Chris Duhon played for D’Antoni in LA last season, but the writer also sees Jamaal Tinsley, Sebastian Telfair, and Shannon Brown as potential targets (among others).

More than likely, the Lakers will use their open roster spot to add a player on a non-guaranteed deal. “That’s what you [probably] do,” said Kupchak. “It’s actually more flexibility [than a 10-day contract].” Regardless, players can’t sign 10-day deals until January 6th, and the Lakers can’t afford to wait that long with Bryant, Blake, Farmar, and Nash all sidelined.

3:30pm: The Lakers are considering adding a guard, tweets Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.

3:01pm: The Lakers’ backcourt took two more devastating hits today, as the team announced that Kobe Bryant will miss the next six weeks, while Steve Nash won’t return to action for at least four more weeks. According to the Lakers (Twitter link), Bryant suffered a fracture of the lateral tibial plateau in his left knee.

Steve Blake was already expected to miss another several weeks while he recovers from a torn UCL, and Jordan Farmar will be out for at least a few more days before being reevaluated next Tuesday. A report yesterday indicated that L.A. wasn’t in the market for a point guard, but as the injuries continue to pile up, you have to wonder how long the club can go without adding a healthy body to its backcourt, if only for insurance purposes. Coach Mike D’Antoni suggested Xavier Henry would take over point guard duties for the Lakers for now (Twitter link).

As our list of roster counts shows, the Lakers have an open 15th spot, and also have three players on non-guaranteed contracts, so the team has the flexibility to add a free agent. Contracts don’t become fully guaranteed for about another three weeks, so the Lakers could add a short-term replacement with the intention of waiving that player by January 7th.

Steve Nash Acknowledges He May Not Play Again

December 8th, 2013 at 12:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Steve Nash‘s tenure with the Lakers hasn’t gone nearly as he expected it to, but recently he batted down a rumor that the nerve root irritation in his back was prompting him to consider retirement. Now Nash says he isn’t ruling out the possibility that his career is over, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News observes.

“I might not be able to play anymore,” Nash said. “I might have to yo-yo it. I might be able to play the rest of the way. Honestly right now, I’m trying to see if I can play the rest of the way.”

Nash has been taking his rehab at a slow pace in an effort not to have to “yo-yo” back and forth between the active and inactive lists. A setback in his recovery could mean trouble, but he knows that if he is going to play again, he’ll have to take a risk and “dance with the devil” sooner or later.

The two-time MVP called his recent troubles “a horrible 18 months for me,” as Medina notes, though his problems started just a little more than 13 months ago, when he fractured his leg in a game against the Blazers. Nash has said that he hasn’t felt the same since that injury, and he also suffered from back and hamstring problems last season, when he missed a combined 34 regular season and playoff games.

If Nash decides to quit, and NBA doctors were to rule him medically unable to play, the Lakers could be allowed to wipe the more than $19MM remaining on his contract from their books. Still, that’s a longshot even if Nash doesn’t return. The more likely scenario if Nash retires would involve the Lakers waiving him and using the Stretch Provision to defray his cost. Nash has repeatedly expressed a desire to play out his contract, which runs through next season, and it doesn’t sound like he’s ready to give up on that yet, even if he realizes he might have to at some point.

Lakers Notes: Kobe, Nash, Gasol

November 26th, 2013 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

On a day when Derrick Rose was ruled out for a second straight season and the Timberwolves agreed to trade 2011’s second overall pick to Sacramento, Kobe Bryant dominated NBA headlines. The Lakers star signed a two-year extension with the team worth $48MM+, ensuring that he’ll remain under contract through 2016. We passed along several reactions to the agreement last night, but updates continue to trickle in, so today’s round of Lakers notes focuses heavily on Kobe’s new deal. Let’s dive in….

Bryant tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that he and the Lakers didn’t really negotiate his extension. According to Bryant, the team proposed a deal and he “simply agreed to the offer.”
Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles that the Buss family felt like the extension was the “right thing to do.”
Buss on the deal: “This wasn’t something I decided to do; this wasn’t something [general manager] Mitch Kupchak decided to do. This was a Buss family decision…. We made him the highest-paid player in the NBA because we felt like it was the right thing to do. This wasn’t about what somebody else would pay him or outbidding anyone for him.”
It’s possible the Lakers will waive Steve Nash using the stretch provision next summer. But that would likely only happen if that extra $6MM+ in cap space would be the difference between the team signing or not signing a top target, says Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Stretching Nash’s cap hit would give L.A. less flexibility in 2015 and 2016, which could discourage the club from going that route.
Asked today if he’ll be the next Laker to sign an extension, Pau Gasol replied that he hasn’t talked to the team about it, and is keeping his focus on the court for now (Twitter links via Dave McMenamin of ESPNLA and Mike Bresnahan of the L.A. Times). Kupchak later confirmed that the team isn’t currently planning on an in-season extension for Pau (Twitter link via Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News).
In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Kevin Pelton presents a few best-case scenarios for the Lakers in the wake of Kobe’s extension.

Lakers Notes: Nash, Kelly, Harris, Young

November 23rd, 2013 at 5:36pm CST by Luke Adams

As we heard yesterday, Steve Nash denied having considered the possibility of retirement, telling reporters that he still has “18 months” of basketball left, referring to the last two years on his contract. Nash also told Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles that he’s “inching forward” in his physical therapy and rehab, and Mike D’Antoni suggests that the veteran point guard could return to practice during the first week of December. Here’s more on the 39-year-old and his Lakers teammates:

Nash recognizes that speculation about his retirement is inevitable at this point of his career, as he tells McMenamin: “I’m 40 in a couple of months. I think people look at the success I’ve had in my career and they wonder if I still have the motivation just to get on the court. But I do. The perspective is that I’ve only got a short window of basketball left in my life. I want to try to get in as much hoops as I can before it’s time to do something else.”
The Lakers have assigned Ryan Kelly and Elias Harris to their D-League affiliate, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv notes via Twitter. The team had just recalled the rookies on Thursday after initially sending them down last week. Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times expects the Lakers will bring them back to the big club in advance of Sunday’s game.
The Lakers signed Nick Young this summer to a minimum-salary contract, and he’s proved a bargain so far, having entered Friday with the fourth-highest scoring average among reserves this season, as McMenamin examines.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Odds & Ends: Nash, Bennett, Cavs, Pacers

November 22nd, 2013 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

A report earlier this week suggested that Steve Nash might be considering retirement after being diagnosed with nerve root irritation. However, Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni quickly refuted the notion that Nash was debating ending his career, and the point guard himself echoed that stance today. Asked if he had thought about retiring, Nash replied, “No, not at all,” according to Bill Oram of the O.C. Register (Twitter link). The 39-year-old’s plans don’t seem to have changed since two weeks ago, when he announced his intentions to play out his current contract.

Here’s more from around the NBA:

Despite Anthony Bennett‘s poor start, the Cavaliers have ruled out the possibility of assigning him to the D-League’s Canton Charge, a source tells Bob Finnan of the News-Herald. According to Finnan, the Cavs feel like the first overall pick is best served practicing and playing against NBA talent.
Tom Ziller of SBNation.com explores the Cavaliers‘ disappointing first month, wondering if GM Chris Grant could be on the hot seat.
Phil Richards of the Indianapolis Star takes an extended look at how Larry Bird has built the Pacers into a title contender.
With the Nets set to play in Minnesota tonight, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune observes that Andrei Kirilenko‘s decision to turn down his $10MM player option has greatly benefited the Timberwolves.
The last time he was playing on an expiring contract, Spencer Hawes believes he psyched himself out by consciously trying to improve his stock for free agency. As he tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld, Hawes isn’t thinking about his expiring deal as much this time around, opting to focus only on what he can control as he approaches free agency.

Steve Nash Seriously Considering Retirement?

November 19th, 2013 at 5:06pm CST by Luke Adams

5:06pm: A source close to Nash who’s familiar with the point guard’s thinking tells Medina that the retirement chatter is “premature.”

3:39pm: Mike D’Antoni told reporters, including Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link), that Nash hasn’t mulled retirement.

10:08am: Only a week and a half ago, Steve Nash expressed his intent to play out the remaining two years on his contract, in spite of a number of nagging injuries. However, according to longtime NBA writer Peter Vecsey (Twitter link), those health problems, including nerve root irritation, may be forcing Nash to reconsider. Vecsey hears that the veteran point guard is “seriously considering calling it a career.”

Given Nash’s recent comments about attempting to play this season and next, I’d be surprised if his retirement was imminent. He’s expected to be re-evaluated later this month, and for now, the Lakers are waiting on his return rather than exploring alternatives at point guard. Still, if the timetable for Nash’s return gets extended, or he suffers a setback, both he and the team will have to seriously weigh all their options.

As Vecsey’s tweet suggests, if Nash were to retire, he’d still get paid and the Lakers would receive cap relief next season. Nash is owed about $9.7MM for 2014/15, so if he’s cut anytime between now and August 31st, 2014, that amount can be stretched over three years. The Lakers’ cap hit in that scenario would be about $3.23MM annually from ’14/15 through ’16/17.

It’s also possible that the Lakers could receive even more cap relief if NBA doctors were to rule Nash medically unable to play for the next two years. Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times explained that potential scenario last week, noting that medical retirements are rare in the NBA.

Kupchak: Lakers Standing Pat, Waiting On Nash

November 13th, 2013 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

A report surfaced yesterday suggesting that rival executives expected the Lakers to start inquiring on point guard help, but Mitch Kupchak believes the team will be able to get by without Steve Nash in the short term. The Lakers GM told Mark Medina of Inside SoCal.com that he doesn’t anticipate making any moves to shore up the club’s backcourt.

“Not right now,” Kupchak said. “We have three capable point guards. I’d like to have three again. But with Steve being out these two weeks, I think we’re fine at that position.”

The Lakers’ stance indicates that the team believes Nash won’t be sidelined for a significant amount of time. The initial timetable for the 39-year-old has him missing two weeks, with a re-evaluation coming later this month. There’s been some speculation that Nash’s recurring back issues may force him to consider early retirement, which could save the Lakers some money if doctors rule the veteran unable to play. However, neither Nash nor the Lakers are thinking about that possibility, according to coach Mike D’Antoni.

“There’s always going to be a debate, but we’re not going to debate it, talk about it,” D’Antoni said (via Mike Bresnahan and Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times). “He’s going to try to get ready, he’s going to try to play and we’re going to try to win. It’s really simple for us. It’s not real difficult.”

If Nash were to be ruled out for a longer period of time, I’d expect the Lakers to reconsider their options. But for now, like the Knicks with Tyson Chandler, the Lakers seem content to stand pat. For both big-market teams, adding a replacement via free agency would come at an increased price due to tax penalties, while acquiring a player via trade may cost assets they don’t have.

Odds & Ends: Wizards, Pelicans, Nash

November 12th, 2013 at 11:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

Wizards owner Ted Leonsis has said he expects his club to be a “playoff-caliber team” this year, but today he backtracked from the notion that the Wizards face an ultimatum of making the postseason, observes Joseph White of The Associated Press.

“Playoffs or bust, what does that mean?” Leonsis said in an interview that also touched on his ownership of the NHL’s Capitals. “Shut the team down if we don’t make the playoffs for the Wizards? We would certainly, if we don’t make the playoffs, for both teams we would do our due diligence in a more hypersensitive manner, right? Because we didn’t meet our expectations. But the team’s not going bust. The fan base isn’t going bust. It would just heighten the scrutiny that we have to do.”

The Wizards, with GM Ernie Grunfeld and coach Randy Wittman on expiring contracts, fell to 2-5 with tonight’s loss to the Mavericks. Here’s more from around the NBA:

Pelicans coach Monty Williams said the team had been considering signing Josh Childress and Louis Amundson for weeks, but he called their additions today “nothing to write home about” and said “we’re just taking a look” at the veterans, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link).
Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni rolled his eyes at the suggestion that Steve Nash should retire, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, and Marc Stein of ESPN.com points to Nash’s determination to overcome his injury and continue playing.
The Knicks plan to send Chris Smith to their D-League affiliate once the season starts next week, as Marc Berman of the New York Post writes within a piece highlighting the Knicks’ woes.
Kevin Martin‘s shooting has been a boon for the Wolves, and the free agent pickup feels he’s benefited just as much from his pairing with Kevin Love, as Bruce Brothers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press observes. “After playing with Kevin (Durant) and Russell (Westbrook), guys that can score 30 in their sleep, I wouldn’t go to another team without a superstar,” Martin said. “That’s what I have in Kevin Love.”
RealGM’s Andrew Perna examines the learning curve for Bucks first-round pick Giannis Antetokounmpo, still just 18 years old and adjusting to life outside of his native Greece.

Pacific Links: Nash, Malone, Rivers

November 11th, 2013 at 10:43am CST by Luke Adams

The 2013/14 NBA season is less than two weeks old, but the early leaders in the Northwest and Southwest look about right, with the Thunder and Spurs sitting atop their respective divisions. The same can’t be said about the Pacific though, where the 5-2 Suns are the surprise leader out of the gate. Phoenix will get to enjoy its spot in first place until at least Wednesday, when the club will face a tough challenge in Portland. As we look forward to seeing how long the Suns can keep up their solid play, let’s round up a few more notes from out of the Pacific….

Steve Nash was forced to exit Sunday’s game early due to back pain and is scheduled to meet with a specialist on Monday for an evaluation, as Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com details. Nash recently expressed his intent to play out the remaining two years on his current contract, but Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni is “concerned” with the health of his 39-year-old point guard, who is also still dealing with nerve issues related to last year’s broken leg.
In the past, the Kings may have replaced a coach who wasn’t on the same page as his players, but new coach Michael Malone has the support of the front office and ownership, writes Victor Contreras of the Sacramento Bee. If someone on the current roster is unable to coexist with Malone, it will likely be the player, rather than the coach, who is shipped out, says Contreras.
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com takes a look at how the Clippers are adjusting to their first season under head coach Doc Rivers.

Steve Nash Plans To Play Out Contract

November 8th, 2013 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

At age 39, Steve Nash is no longer the same elite player that captured back-to-back MVP awards in 2005 and 2006, but the veteran point guard remains hopeful that he can be effective and contribute to the Lakers this season and next. As Nash tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, retirement isn’t something he’s considering at this point in his career.

“I don’t think so,” Nash said, when asked if he could see himself retiring before next season. “I still feel like I’ve got a lot of life left without basketball so I’m going to try to enjoy it and make the most of these last 18-20 months, whatever it is.”

Nash, who missed 32 games last season, has appeared in five of the Lakers’ six games this year. However, physical ailments forced him to sit out the second game of the team’s only back-to-back so far, and he’s playing just 24.2 minutes per game, his lowest average since 1997/98.

While a few trade rumors have swirled around Nash in the early going, there’s little chance of the Lakers finding a suitor for the Canadian. His $9.3MM salary this season, along with the $9.7MM he’ll earn next year, significantly reduces any value he’d have as a trade chip. If the Lakers want to remove Nash from the picture next summer as they look to claim a huge chunk of cap space, the club would likely have to release him, spreading out his cap hit using the stretch provision.