Suns Part 2: Trade Nash

I realize this is a Lakers blog, but the utter collapse of the Suns due to the addition of the biggest Laker to ever don the purple and gold has got me thinking Suns. In today's second part, I examine some possible trades that could help put the Suns and their trade partners back into the big picture.   

Here’s some other ideas that could potentially work to help fix the Suns. Trade Steve Nash and Leandro Barbosa to the Nuggets for Allen Iverson and Linas Kleiza.

I remember hearing Kobe haters question what Iverson could have done if he had been the one to play with Shaq instead of Bryant. Well, this would give him his shot. Sure, Shaq’s past his prime, but Amare’s the next big thing. This doesn’t fix the Suns’ defensive shortcomings, but as long as they have Shaq and Amare, those shortcomings will never be fixed. AI gives the Suns a go-to clutch performer who can get his own shot in any and every situation. Something Nash couldn’t do. Plus, Iverson is great at lobs, and would have plenty of opportunities in this offense. Plus, they’d get Kleiza, who could work to spell Grant Hill and could also spread the floor with his outside shooting.

As previously stated, Nash doesn’t fit well with Shaq. Iverson’s game doesn’t fit well with Melo’s. But if you switch up the two…now you’ve got something.

Nash is exactly what the Nuggets need. A catalyst for their hyper-offense who can get everyone involved plus is a deadly outside shooter who can help spread the floor. Marcus Camby would be counting his blessings, J.R. Smith would get his shots (or, the Nugs could let Smith walk and use Barbosa, another deadly outside shooter, as their shooting guard), Melo would be able to dominate the ball plus get easy buckets from Nash. And Kenyon Martin would get his best point since J-Kidd was lobbing it to him. I would even argue that this could help their defense. Nash is not a great one-on-one defender, but he knows how to play team defense, how to rotate and how to help (taking charges, etc). AI was never good at any of those things. He was a poor on ball defender who gambled too much. With Camby, Martin and Nene clogging the middle (all excellent to good inside defenders unlike Shaq and Amare) Nash's ability to play team defense might actually improve the defense as a whole. 

In additon, Nash would give the Nuggets someone to listen to, and someone who can get them all involved. His work ethic and determination are sorely needed in a locker room filled with poor attitudes. Hey, they might not listen to Nash at first, but once they start getting wide open looks and are all scoring in the teens, guys will definitely notice and start to listen (look at how Nash turned around a team that once had malcontent Shawn Marion, disgruntled Joe Johnson, and crybaby Amare).

Everybody wins in this situation and both teams can become instant contenders.

Another trade I thought, which might be even better, is trading Nash and Raja Bell to the Golden State Warriors for Baron Davis. Again, this gives the Warriors some stability and a guy who can get every single Warrior involved. Baron is too up and down, and he’s going to want a huge extension, something the Warriors would like to save for Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins. Nash is a superstar with a reasonable cotract who will need less and less time as the years progress opening up playing time for all of the young guns growing on the Warriors bench. Plus, Nash brings MVP caliber experience and determination and leadership. That’s another situation where Nash can thrive and where his defensive shortcomings won’t matter. Talk about hyper-Suns ball. The Warriors have enough horses and enough firepower and enough depth to outshoot anybody. Plus, Monta could then take over as their crunch time bucket-getter.

The Suns would get Baron Davis in a contract year to team with Shaq and Amare and Hill. This would also allow Leandro Barbosa to start. Baron brings the hardnosed defense up top that Steve Kerr is looking for. He can effectively match up against the Tony Parkers and the Chris Pauls of the NBA.

He can distribute the ball as well as any top point guard and is a clutch performer in the Kobe Bryant mold, a guy who can get his own shot and make them when it counts—a Nash shortcoming. Plus, he will be bringing it every night because he’s looking to get paid.

The best part about both of these deals for the Suns is that they would be one year experiments. They’d get one more push with Shaq and then could start over and let Baron or AI walk if it didn’t work out effectively relieving them of $16.4 and $19 million respectively. After next season, they could also start to look to use Shaq’s massive expiring contract as trade bait. 

Look, I hated the Marion trade, and I’d hate to see Steve Nash go. But I’d rather see Nash in a situation that allows him to play his free-spirited type of ball then stifled and suffocated by Shaq’s presence and not allowed to tear loose like we’ve grown accustomed to over the past four seasons.

Getting Shaq changed everything. He and Amare have now become the focal points. Everyone else, including Nash, is expendable.