Nash going to the Suns

[WayOutWest]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1833028


Thursday, July 1, 2004


ESPN.com
DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks free agent guard Steve Nash reached a verbal agreement Thursday night to sign with the Phoenix Suns, ESPN.com's Marc Stein has learned.


Steve Nash
Point Guard
Dallas Mavericks
Profile


2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
78 14.5 3.0 8.8 .470 .916




Nash and agent Bill Duffy, according to league sources, received an offer from Phoenix on Thursday -- believed to be a five-year package worth more than $65 million with a partial guarantee for the sixth season -- and brought it back to the Mavericks.


Mavs owner Mark Cuban, sources said, declined to match the offer.


"It's exciting, but it's also a little bittersweet," Nash told ESPN.com. "I am really sad to leave my teammates, but I am glad to be going somewhere where they really wanted me."


According to sources, after giving the Suns a verbal commitment, Nash immediately phoned longtime teammates Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley to break the news.


Mavericks sources said Cuban was reluctant to give Nash more than a four-year guaranteed contract because of fears the 30-year-old couldn't physically handle no more than 32 minutes per game.


No deals can be formally signed until July 14, when the salary cap for next season is set. Teams and free agents can only reach verbal agreements during the league's two-week moratorium on signings and trades.


Nash had met with Cuban in Dallas on Wednesday morning and then was greeted by a traveling Suns delegation that included chairman Jerry Colangelo, son and team president Bryan Colangelo, new owner Robert Sarver and forward Amare Stoudemire, a client of Duffy's.


Wednesday, Duffy said, "It was a good meeting [with Cuban]. Mark made it very clear that re-signing Steve is a priority."


The Suns originally drafted Nash in 1996 and he never sold his home in the Phoenix area.


Bringing in Nash eliminates the Suns from the Kobe Bryant derby. On Wednesday night, it was reported that Phoenix was prepared to offer Bryant a six-year deal worth over $100 million.

[MavKikiNYC]

So much for those who insisted Nash would never leave his buddy Dirk.

Sounds like a good deal for Nash. He should definitely take it. Guess the possibility of playing on a team with Fin, Dirk and Shaq wasn't worth as much to him as we might've thought.

As for the Mavs, well...I have to think they saw this coming and moved to prepare themselves. This may bite a bit in the short-term, but I think de-emphasizing Nash's role with the Mavs is in the best interests of the team long-term.

Here's wishing Nash well, and hoping that Harris is a quick study.

[mary]

ddd