Things haven’t gone as hoped this strike-shortened season for the Phoenix Suns.
If the first handful of games is any indication, Suns management will have some interesting decisions to make with the NBA trade deadline looming in mid-March.
The name again at the forefront of any rumored deal linked to Phoenix is All-Star point guard Steve Nash, who is the final year of his contract and reaching the twilight of his career.
Alvin Gentry’s team finds themselves looking up in the standings at the usual suspects, Lakers, Thunder and Spurs in the Western Conference, while trying to fight off possible newcomers to the party like the new-look Clippers with recently acquired Chris Paul.
While Nash has played well through the first three weeks of the season, many felt the best window to trade him was a couple years ago when it was clear the Suns were no longer a serious NBA title contender.
So where exactly is Planet Orange headed if their mediocre season continues?
“There’s no easy way to rebuild,” well-respected NBA Insider Chris Sheridan from Sheridanhoops.com told Brad Cesmat on “Big Guy on Sports” Tuesday. “At a certain point you need to say goodbye to your old guys and blow it up and start over.”
Another player who could be dealt before the deadline is forward Grant Hill who re-signed a one-year deal just before the season started after flirting with other offers.
“The Suns only have $30 million on their [salary] cap next year,” Sheridan explained to Cesmat. “They’re going to be players in free-agency over the summer and that’s where you do your re-building.”
Although no one is exactly sure what Nash’s future holds here in the desert, Sheridan believes he could end up in the Big Apple.
“It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he came and played for the Knicks,” Sheridan said. “He has an apartment in [New York] and he could play the pick-and-roll with Amare [Stoudemire] again which he was pretty successful doing.”
The trade deadline is March 15.
