Steve Nash Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Raptors, James, Green

April 14th, 2012 at 7:10pm CST by Daniel Seco

With the Bulls and the Heat staking claim to the top two seeds, the rest of the Eastern Conference playoff picture remains up in the air as the season winds down. The Celtics, currently the fourth seed, are in action tonight against the lottery-bound Nets while the Pacers, a surprising three seed at the moment, battle the Bucks, still in the mix as the ninth seed. Let's check in with the rest of the conference to see what other stories are making headlines.

Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld considers what the Raptors should do as a franchise after suffering through a disappointing season. Team general manager Bryan Colangelo has cleared a great deal of cap space to build around the team's young talent but still has many holes to fill heading into next season. Brotherston identifies Steve Nash as a potential free-agent signing for the Raptors that would provide the team with a buzzworthy star they have been lacking the past few seasons.
It may have taken awhile, but LeBron James and his family have finally reached a level of comfort where they feel at home in Miami, writes Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post. The former Cavs superstar may not know how to speak Spanish or how to get around Miami without a GPS, but James is enjoying being able to raise his two sons in South Florida for the majority of the year. James' affinity for Florida living has positively impacted his game as he is currently averaging 26.8 PPG and 7.9 RPG on the season.
A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast SportsNet tweets Gerald Green would prefer to re-sign with the Nets, but would consider signing with the Celtics. Green, originally taken in the first round of the 2005 draft by Boston, had been out of the league since the 2008/2009 season before signing the first of two 10-day contracts with the Nets in February, where he has made the most of his opportunity. The forward from Gulf Shores Academy in Houston should attract significant attention this summer given his 13.0 PPG and 3.3 RPG in 25 games with the Nets.

Stein On Jeremy Lin’s Future

April 6th, 2012 at 5:34pm CST by Sean Highkin

ESPN.com's Marc Stein posted a column reflecting on Knicks guard Jeremy Lin's unlikely breakout season. Stein, citing sources around the league and within the Knicks organization, discusses the future of Lin, who is set to become a restricted free agent this summer.

Stein's sources around the league are convinced that the Knicks will retain Lin, due to both his enormous on-court potential and to the lucrative endorsement opportunities he promises as an icon in the Asian-American community. Stein also hears that a Knicks run at Steve Nash is a long shot, because they will not have the money to sign both Nash and Lin.

As a restricted free agent with less than three years of service time, Lin is subject to the Gilbert Arenas rule, meaning teams wishing to sign him to an offer sheet are not allowed to go above the mid-level exception.

Kyler’s Latest: Williams, Nash, Nelson, Hibbert

April 5th, 2012 at 10:33am CST by Luke Adams

Within his preview of a few of the summer's top free agents, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld shares some rumors on the potential landing spots for those players. Let's check out the highlights….

The Deron Williams sweepstakes are the Nets' to lose. If the team can't surround Williams with satisfactory talent, expect the point guard to sign elsewhere.
Kyler hears the Suns have "put the idea of a two-year, $20MM offer on the table" for Steve Nash. Nash is said to be seeking a three-year deal, and if Phoenix were to add an extra year, it would almost certainly be the best offer the veteran would receive. Still, Kyler points out that Nash has earned well over $100MM in his NBA career, so he won't necessarily just take the highest salary.
Jameer Nelson has yet to decide on his player option for next season. While he's very unlikely to find a higher salary for 2012/13 on the open market, Nelson could potentially land a larger guarantee over multiple years. Declining the option would also give him more agency in determining where he plays, since he'd be a trade candidate with the Magic.
The Nets' Gerald Wallace is also undecided on his 2012/13 player option, though opting in seems more likely at this point.
It's very unlikely that another team poaches restricted free agent Roy Hibbert from the Pacers.
The Nuggets will probably match any offer for JaVale McGee of $7MM or less annually, but it's unclear whether they'd go much higher than that.

Steve Nash Seeks Three-Year Deal

April 3rd, 2012 at 5:32pm CST by Michael Pina

In a phone interview with ESPN.com's Marc Stein earlier today, Suns point guard Steve Nash said he would seek a three-year contract after his current one expires this offseason. According to Stein, the 38-year-old insists his back feels "the best it's felt in a decade."

Nash gave no indication as to whether the three-year deal he seeks will be with Phoenix, Miami, Dallas, or another organization that could use his services. The comments appear to come in response to a recent New York Post report that Nash's back was as bad as its ever been.

"It's been my best year physically from start to finish in a long time," Nash said. "Other than a little tweak (last week) against San Antonio, my back's been pretty close to 100 percent."

The two-time MVP has only missed four games this season, and is currently leading the league with 11.3 APG.

Steve Nash

Pacific Notes: Suns, Nash, Warriors, Clippers

March 31st, 2012 at 9:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The Clippers finish off tonight's slate of NBA action as they take on the Jazz at the Staples Center. Chris Paul & Co. are coming off of their fourth straight win after edging the Trail Blazers last night, 98-97. News out of the Pacific..

Suns guard Steve Nash refuted a recent report which suggested that he was upset over the club's failure to actively pursue former teammate Boris Diaw after he was cut by Charlotte, writes Vince Marotta of Arizona Sports. The 38-year-old will be a free agent after this season and recently said that he wants to see the club make upgrades this summer.
Meanwhile, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (via Twitter) is hearing that Nash will not rule out the Knicks in free agency, even though his former coach Mike D'Antoni is no longer there.
Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com opines that the Warriors shouldn't make a deal to get their top seven protected first-round pick back from the Jazz this year. Owner Joe Lacob has hinted at such a move to regain the pick if it falls outside of the top seven but Steinmetz doesn't believe that it will be worth the sacrifice down the line.
Clippers guard Randy Foye is in the final year of a $4.25MM contract but isn't worried about his future beyond this season, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
Longtime Warriors forward Adonal Foyle is now in Orlando's front office and appears to be a GM-in-training, writes Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.

Steve Nash Discusses Free Agency

March 29th, 2012 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

One of the biggest potential trade chips on this season's trade market never seemed close to being dealt. The Suns insisted they'd keep Steve Nash unless the point guard asked to be traded, and Nash never made that request. While the 38-year-old didn't want to ask out of Phoenix, he definitely intends to explore his options when he becomes a free agent this summer. Nash appeared on the Dan Patrick Show this morning and addressed the topic (hat tip to Royce Young of CBSSports.com).

"It's going to be interesting this summer," Nash said. "Being a free agent, I didn't really want to leave at the deadline. I felt I owed it to me teammates and the Suns organization and the fans. I could possibly be back for sure. but that will be more interesting than the trade deadline."

Nash didn't rule out the possibility of joining former teammate Dirk Nowitzki and said he'd "definitely listen" if the Heat were interested. I can't picture Miami making a serious play for Nash with only the $3MM taxpayer mid-level exception to offer him, but it would certainly solidify the team's position as a title favorite.

As I wrote when I began examining the free agent market earlier this week, Nash might be the most attractive piece out there for contenders in need of a point guard. However, the Suns will almost certainly make a competitve bid, perhaps offering their star a multiyear deal. Would a return to Phoenix interest Nash?

"I'm not going to come back to the Suns if there isn't an improvement," Nash said. "If they're not ambitious and they're not looking to upgrade the roster seriously. And I think they are. They'll have a lot of flexibility in free agency. I think I've been standing pat so they could do some things this summer. I think they'll become a definite possibility for me, but I do want to win and I do want to consider all my options."

Pacific Notes: Nash, Bogut, Morris

March 16th, 2012 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

As every Pacific team except the Clippers prepares to host a game later tonight, let's check in on the latest updates out of the division:

Steve Nash will have plenty of options in free agency this summer, but he'll "strongly consider" re-signing with the Suns, agent Bill Duffy tells Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
Newly-acquired Andrew Bogut tells the Australian Associated Press that the Warriors are likely to hold him out of action for the rest of the season (link via NBA.com).
Ramon Sessions is expected to be available for his new team tonight, but the Lakers have recalled Darius Morris from their D-League affiliate just in case, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Odds & Ends: Beasley, Bucks, Spurs, Nash

March 15th, 2012 at 10:49pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Thursday night:

The Minneapolis Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda talked to Michael Beasley, who was shopped heavily by the Timberwolves prior to the trade deadline. Beasley would like to remain in Minnesota past this season but recognizes that it is not in his control.
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Michael Hunt believes the trade of Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson for Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, and Kwame Brown makes sense for the Bucks in both the short and the long term.
Spurs GM R.C. Buford hints that there may be another roster move to come, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News's Tim Griffin.
The Arizona Republic's Paul Coro highlights the loyalty Steve Nash has displayed to the Suns as something that distinguishes him from other stars in the league.

Steve Nash Won’t Be Traded

March 15th, 2012 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Suns won't trade Steve Nash before today's deadline, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.

For weeks, Phoenix had maintained that they'd explore deals for Nash if the star point guard asked to be dealt. However, Nash never made such a request, indicating that he didn't want to betray loyalty to his teammates and the franchise.

Aldridge On Howard, Kaman, Crawford, Nash

March 12th, 2012 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

In the latest installment of his weekly NBA.com column, David Aldridge runs through the notable names on the trade market, including the big fish, Dwight Howard. While Aldridge doesn't have any new updates for today's round of Howard rumors, the NBA.com scribe thinks the Magic will end up dealing D12 by Thursday's deadline. Aldridge predicts an offer of Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks, and multiple first-round picks from the Nets will be the best deal Orlando sees this week.

Here are a few more items of interest from Aldridge's piece:

The Hornets are "determined" to move Chris Kaman by the deadline. There's no clear frontrunner, but Aldridge says not to rule out the Hawks or Mavericks.
Alridge hears from a source that the Bobcats and Trail Blazers could be discussing idea involving Jamal Crawford and D.J. Augustin.
Asked about his situation with the Suns, Steve Nash said that perhaps the team will have a change of heart on its stance this week, but "I don't feel like it's my place right now to kind of ask to be traded."