The Phoenix Suns revamped their roster on Saturday in a huge trade with the Orlando Magic that sent Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson, and Earl Clark to Orlando for Vince Carter, Mickael Pietrus, Marcin Gortat, a first-round pick, and $3 million.
Though the move may knock the Suns out of playoff contention, it will save the organization significant money in the long-run which was the clear motivation behind the deal.
The trade was significant on its own, but many people are more interested in what it might mean for the future of Steve Nash. Phoenix's window to contend for an NBA title has closed, and this weekend's trade is a strong indication that the team is preparing to go into rebuilding mode. Nash, 36, is one of the best and most popular players in the NBA, and many now wonder if he'll be the next to go. But Phoenix would be foolish to trade their superstar.
Nash was clearly disappointed with the move when he first heard, but since then he has been saying all the right things for Phoenix as he has always done. By all accounts, Nash is different from most professional athletes. He'd love to win a championship, but that isn't the only thing that matters to him. Neither is money. Nash appears to be quite happy in Phoenix, and that won't change just because of this trade.
The Suns would be dumb not to listen to offers for Nash, but unless they're blown away, dealing Nash is the wrong move. He is beloved by Suns' fans and since they've just seen the team make a move clearly based on money and not winning, Phoenix would risk infuriating many of its fans by trading Nash.
Plus, there aren't likely to be many offers that catch Phoenix's attention. Young teams won't want to trade for Nash because of his age, and the contenders are all set at point guard. The New York Knicks have long-coveted Nash, but with Raymond Felton's fantastic play thus far this season, they won't be in a hurry to make a deal.
Even with the trade, the Suns still have a chance to make the playoffs as an eighth seed. Trading Nash would all but eliminate that possibility, so unless the Suns can get a hefty package back for Nash, which seems extremely unlikely, they should stand pat.
