Steve Nash Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Rumors: Nash, Lin, Fields, Novak

May 10th, 2012 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

Following New York's Game Five loss in Miami last night, we rounded up a few Knicks-related notes, but the news and rumors keep coming. Here's the latest as the Knicks prepare for an eventful offseason:

Amare Stoudemire would love to play alongside former Suns teammate Steve Nash in the Big Apple next year, as he told Frank Isola and Kevin Armstrong of the New York Daily News. "Everyone knows that Steve loves New York and that New York loves Steve," Stoudemire said. "I love Steve. It would be great to have him here next year."
It's long been rumored that the Suns will offer Nash a two-year, $20MM deal, but Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld believes the point guard will leave money on the table to join a contender (Twitter link). The above-linked Daily News report suggests that if if Nash were to sign for the veteran minimum, he'd only go to a title contender. I'm not sure why he'd have to settle for the minimum though, no matter where he signed.
Jeremy Lin endorsed Knicks coach Mike Woodson, and told Marc Berman of the New York Post he'd like to remain in New York. According to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, as many as six teams could be preparing to make a run at Lin, though as I explained yesterday, the Gilbert Arenas provision will allow the Knicks to match any offers.
Landry Fields and Steve Novak were among the other Knicks free agents to express their desire to return next season. Fields told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com he'd "love" to be back, while Novak said there's no place he'd rather play, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. I think Fields will be re-signed, but the team may not have the financial flexibility to hang on to Novak.
Despite their early exit from this year's postseason, the Knicks are on the right track, says Tom Ziller of SBNation.com. Stoudemire also sees better days ahead for the team, as George Willis of the New York Post writes.

Sefko On Terry, Nash, Haywood, Draft

May 8th, 2012 at 8:50pm CST by Daniel Seco

Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News held an in-depth chat with Mavs fans earlier on Tuesday and answered countless questions related to the team's plans for the offseason. Here are some of the highlights.

Look for Jason Terry to return to Mavs as the team's sixth man next season instead of signing elsewhere during free agency. Terry provides the team with instant offense off the bench and is most effective when surrounded with quality players. The only way he won't be wearing blue and white next season is if some team offers him an oversized contract and his family is comfortable with the move.
There hasn't been much conversation about soon-to-be free agent Steve Nash returning to the Mavs this offeason. While fans would like to see Nash reunited with Dirk Nowitzki, the pairing wasn't especially successful the first time around. The decision to add Nash to the mix would make more sense once additional pieces have been acquired to help bolster the current roster.
The Mavs will likely use their amnesty provision to rid themselves of Brendan Haywood before they make their first free-agent signing. Haywood, 32, is under contract through the 2014/2015 season and is owed approximately $22.2MM. The former UNC star averaged 5.2 PPG and 6.0 RPG in 54 appearances (all starts) with the Mavs this past season.
Dallas deserves more credit for the success they've enjoyed in the draft given where they typically make their picks (toward the end of the rounds). While the players selected haven't always stayed in Dallas for long, they have been used in trades to acquire key players such as Jason Kidd.

Atlantic Notes: Lin, Nash, DeRozan, Celtics

May 8th, 2012 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Celtics and Sixers look to close out their respective first round series tonight, let's round up a few odds and ends out of the Atlantic Division:

Speaking to reporters, including Marc Berman of the New York Post, Knicks coach Mike Woodson ruled out Jeremy Lin for the rest of the team's series against the Heat, even if it goes seven games.
Steve Nash was officially named the general manager of Canada's national team today, and talked to ESPN.com's Marc Stein about his new role. During the press conference in Toronto, Nash said he hasn't made any decisions about free agency yet, but that he wouldn't rule out signing with the Raptors (Twitter link via Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun).
Raptors swingman DeMar DeRozan has been named to the Team USA select team, Jerry Colangelo announced today (link via Jay Satur of Raptors.com). DeRozan will join Kyrie Irving, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and others on the squad, which will scrimmage against the U.S. Olympic team this summer.
Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe thinks it would be premature for the Celtics to break up their Big Three this summer.

Pacific Notes: Clippers, Ebanks, Nash, Malone

May 8th, 2012 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacific was the only Western Conference division to send just two teams to the postseason, but it may also be the only division to send multiple teams to the West's second round. The Clippers and Lakers have both taken commanding 3-1 leads in their series, and look poised to join the Spurs and Thunder in what should be an outstanding second round.

While we wait to see if the Clips and Lakers can finish off their respective opponents, here's the latest out of the Pacific:

Clippers GM Neil Olshey tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that Chris Paul's arrival has turned the Clippers into a franchise that players "want to" join rather than "have to" join.
Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times wonders if Devin Ebanks' increased role with the Lakers in recent weeks bodes well for his return next year. Ebanks' agent said earlier this season that the restricted free agent probably would seek a situation where he could play more rather than re-signing with Los Angeles.
Canada Basketball is holding a press conference at Air Canada Centre today, and the announcement is expected to involve Suns guard Steve Nash taking on a major role with Team Canada, according to FAN590's Eric Smith.
Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer hopes there's real, mutual interest between Warriors assistant Michael Malone and the Bobcats.

Kyler On Williams, Nash, Gordon, Mayo, Hibbert

May 4th, 2012 at 10:51am CST by Luke Adams

In his NBA AM column at HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler shares the latest rumblings on a handful of this summer's top free agents. Here are the highlights:

It's far from a done deal, but the general feeling around the Nets is that they're in the driver's seat for Deron Williams. Kyler names the Mavericks, Trail Blazers, and Magic as other teams that figure to aggressively pursue the point guard.
Steve Nash continues to tell people that returning to Phoenix is a "real and viable option." Kyler points out that even if Nash ends up elsewhere, the Suns could work out a sign-and-trade to get something out of it.
It's nearly a lock that Eric Gordon will be retained by the Hornets, but it's not clear how high the bidding will go. The Hornets were unable to agree on an extension with Gordon earlier this season, and while that was due in part to not having new ownership in place yet, there are also questions about the 23-year-old's durability.
According to Kyler, there's a good chance O.J. Mayo doesn't become a restricted free agent this summer, since a qualifying offer would put the Grizzlies over the tax line. If Memphis doesn't extend a qualifying offer, Mayo would be eligible for unrestricted free agency.
Kevin Garnett would like to finish his career with the Celtics.
The Pacers are prepared to match just about any offer for Roy Hibbert, and will let the market set the price for their center.
The Nets hope to deal with Brook Lopez's free agency after working out some of their other situations, but Lopez could disrupt their plans if he signs an offer sheet with another club early in the free agent period.

Suns May Avoid Major Offseason Spending

May 2nd, 2012 at 6:46pm CST by Ryan Raroque

According to an ESPN report via the Associated Press, Lon Babby (the Suns' president of basketball operations) said that there is a "distinct possibility" that the team will hold off on any big-time acquisitions this summer if the right situation does not present itself.

The article also says that the Suns are open to the possibility of retaining Steve Nash depending on a number of factors involving Nash and the team's desires.

A quiet summer will likely be enough to put the kibosh on Nash's interest in remaining with the franchise, who recently said that the team has a "great opportunity with the flexibility and cap space it has to improve a great deal" when discussing his thoughts heading into the offseason.

Latest On Steve Nash

April 26th, 2012 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

During the fourth quarter of last night's regular-season finale in Phoenix, Suns fans chanted "We want Steve!" and were eventually rewarded with a curtain call from Steve Nash. After eight years as a Sun, Nash's future is up in the air, and many pundits don't believe he'll be back in Phoenix next season.

J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today tweeted that Nash "isn't coming back to the Suns," adding that Phoenix needs to rebuild and the veteran point guard wants to join a contender. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld agreed (via Twitter), noting that Nash was "likely playing his final minutes as a member of the Phoenix Suns."

Nash himself remained noncommital on his future in a Q&A session with Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Asked about the odds that he'll remain in Phoenix, the 38-year-old replied, "Honestly, I have no clue. I couldn’t predict. I don’t know what the future holds at this point. And I’m actually OK with that. I think now’s the time to maybe get some distance from it and try to find a clear perspective on where I am. Until I do that, I couldn’t put a number on it or take a guess on what the chances are on whether I’ll be back or not."

While Nash's scoring average fell to 12.5 PPG this season, his lowest mark since 1999/2000, he continues to be efficient as ever. He also dished out 10.7 APG, posted an incredible .532 FG%, and matched his career average with a 20.2 PER. The two-time MVP wants to play for three more years, and given his continued excellence, it wouldn't surprise me at all if one of his suitors was willing to offer the three-year deal he'll be seeking.

Pacific Notes: Warriors, World Peace, Nash, Kings

April 23rd, 2012 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacific Division hasn't been decided yet, but the magic number is down to one. If the Lakers win the final game of their season in Sacramento, or the Clippers lose in either Atlanta or New York, the Lakers will clinch the division. The consolation for the Clips? A win against either the Hawks or Knicks would at least earn them first-round homecourt advantage. Either way, the Staples Centre will be hosting of plenty of postseason contests starting next weekend.

Here's the latest out of the Pacific:

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News put the Warriors' odds of retaining their first-round pick at about 20-25% after they beat the Timberwolves yesterday. Golden State's pick is top-seven protected, and as our tentative draft order shows, the team is currently the league's eighth-worst.
Warriors fans shouldn't sweat it if the team loses its first-rounder, says Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com.
J.A. Adande of ESPN.com argues that Metta World Peace should be suspended for two games more than James Harden misses. World Peace's elbow during yesterday's game resulted in a concussion for Harden, and will certainly mean a suspension for the Lakers forward — Las Vegas has set the over/under at 7.5 games (Twitter link). In a poll yesterday, 58% of respondents said the Lakers would still win at least one playoff series without the man formerly known as Ron Artest.
With Steve Nash facing free agency, Eric Koreen of the National Post examines the pros and cons of a few potential destinations for the Suns star.
Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty ponders whether the Tyreke Evans era could be nearing an end for the Kings.
Sacramento officials will return a portion of the $200K the NBA sent the city for pre-development work on the Kings' arena, reports Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee.

Pacific Notes: Nash, Robinson, Kings, Williams

April 20th, 2012 at 11:23am CST by Luke Adams

It appears 2012 will be yet another year without a Pacific Division title for the Clippers, who fell to the Suns last night to slip a half-game in the standings. While the Clippers are only a game behind the Lakers, the Lakers hold the tiebreaker, so with just three games left, the Clips look ticketed for a second-place finish in the Pacific. Still, as Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes, one more win would clinch the Clippers' best winning percentage in team history.

Here are a few more Friday morning notes out of the Pacific:

TNT's David Aldridge told Arizona Sports 620 that he believes there's a good chance Steve Nash stays with the Suns next season. Vince Marotta of ArizonaSports.com has the details.
Nate Robinson would like to re-sign with his Warriors but isn't getting his hopes up, says Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group.
Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee has the latest details on why the Kings' owners rejected the Sacramento arena proposal.
Terrence Williams has impressed in his late-season audition with the Kings, writes Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee. Williams, who was waived by the Rockets last month, will be a restricted free agent this summer if the Kings decide to extend him a $1.06MM qualifying offer.

Nash Discusses Thoughts Heading Into Summer

April 18th, 2012 at 7:11pm CST by Ryan Raroque

In an interview with Burns and Gambo of KTAR in Phoenix, Steve Nash touched base on questions surrounding his future. Having turned 38 in February, Nash looks determined to finish the rest of his career on a strong note with a contending team and his answers made it evident that his priority is on winning. During the course of the interview Nash clarified that his mind isn't on free agency right now, although he was able to provide some insight on what his approach will be after the Suns conclude their season.

When asked what it would take for the Suns management to retain him, Nash said that he wants to see the team in a position to contend and that hopefully there are a lot of directions the franchise can go in order to provide a better chance to be competitive in the playoffs again. He also added that while his family will be one factor in his thought process, it wouldn't be the deciding factor. Here are some more noteworthy takeaways from the interview:

On how close he felt the Suns were from matching his vision, Nash answered:

"I think this franchise definitely has a great opportunity this summer with the flexibility and cap space it has to improve a great deal whether that is just one step up the ladder or three or four has yet to be seen, but it should be an exciting time for some fans and we’ll see how it all plays out in the summer.”

On the possibility of recruiting free agents:

"If that’s going to be a deciding factor on me coming back then I’d obviously want to do what I can to help. Who knows what is going to happen?"…"If it were time to move on I think it is going to demand a lot of thought and debate on my part and figure out a lot of things, so it’s a little bit of a tricky situation in that aspect. I think I have definitely earned the opportunity to sit back and take it all in and decide what is best for me."

On the possibility of taking less money to play for a contender:

“It’s possible, but at this point though I really don’t know…like I said with the family and with the money. These are all just one factor and a bunch of different factors"…"it’s definitely not out of the question to take less money to go to a situation where it fits you better, but it’s really early for me"…"it is going to be a big, big, big project for me to really get to the bottom of what is the best thing for me.”

We reported earlier this month that Nash is seeking a three-year deal. It should also be noted that in a late-March interview, he didn't rule out Dallas or Miami as potential suitors while discussing free agency.