Rapid Reaction: Sources say Steve Nash will be traded to Lakers
By Brian Kamenetzky
At the conclusion of the NBA draft last week, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said the Lakers were trying to hit a home run this offseason. Generally speaking, the assumption was it would have to come with a trade of either Andrew Bynum or Pau Gasol.
Or not.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports the Lakers have agreed on a sign-and-trade with the Phoenix Suns netting them two-time MVP point guard Steve Nash. L.A. will give him a three-year deal worth more than $25 million. The Lakers will absorb Nash into the trade exception created last year in the deal sending Lamar Odom to Dallas. The Suns will also receive L.A.'s first-round picks in 2013 and 2015, plus second-rounders in 2013 and 2014.
Home. Run.
It's hard to say exactly where this places the Lakers in the Western Conference because there are still so many directions they could go with the roster from here, but as it stands now, L.A. is back in the conversation. Deep into it, I would say, and once again Lakers fans have tangible evidence of the team's commitment to winning. I've been pessimistic about the team's chances of improving enough to legitimately contend over the next year or two, but the Lakers have taken a giant step toward proving me (and many others) wrong. I certainly didn't see this coming.
There is a ton to absorb here, but a few quick thoughts:
1. The major problem with trades involving either Bynum or Gasol is that in either case it was hard to improve. Both of those guys are already outstanding and fundamentally weren't the problem last season. Here, though, the Lakers acquire an elite player without sending talent out the door.
2. Worried about Nash's age? Don't be. He is still a remarkably consistent performer. Over the past five seasons, his efficiency rating (PER) has been between 19.55 and 21.67 (20.29 last year), true shooting percentage between 60.1 and 64.1 (62.5 last year), and assists/40 minutes between 11.7 and 13.7 (13.5 in '11-'12). Nash kept a fairly limited Suns squad in playoff contention last season, shooting 53.2 percent from the field, and 39 percent from 3-point range. He is an incredibly effective offensive player, even at 38 years old.
3. The Lakers have instantly gone from a staid, struggling team on offense to one with incredible potential. Nash at the point, Kobe Bryant on the wing, with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum up front (at least for now)? Good luck guarding those guys. The potential for spectacularly entertaining basketball is very, very strong.
4. Acquiring Nash obviously raises the same "How does Kobe work with an elite point guard?" questions prompted by last season's vetoed Chris Paul trade. Devastating a shooter as Nash is, he's someone who needs the ball in his hands a ton to be at his most effective. How exactly it'll look on the floor is tough to say right now, but just as he does Paul, Kobe has incredible respect for Nash. I don't anticipate problems with the two of them coexisting, beyond a normal adjustment period. Not only are the Lakers in better shape to help Kobe get his sixth title, his presence could easily add a couple more productive years to Kobe's career, just because of all the work he won't have to do generating offense. Conversely, the presence of Bryant and the bigs will take a lot of pressure off Nash, and increase the odds of him staying at this level through the three years.
Between Bryant, Nash and Gasol, the Lakers have three of the highest basketball IQs the game has ever seen. If things click, the results should be beautiful.
5. A huge question here is payroll. Obviously, the Lakers just added a major expense, and what they do in response remains to be seen. Does this increase the need to move Gasol? Does it impact their ability to extend Bynum beyond this season? Does this impact any Bynum-for-Dwight Howard conversations? I don't know. It's reasonable to expect a cost-cutting move somewhere (Metta World Peace seems more likely to get amnestied, for example), but the Lakers could play this in any number of ways. What I don't think they'll do -- or at the very least, hope they don't do -- is rob Peter to pay Paul. Adding Nash doesn't have the same impact if they dump too much talent in an effort to save money.
Moreover, with Nash now on the perimeter, it would help the Lakers to have all that size inside to help erase mistakes and discourage penetration defensively. This is a win-now move. Undercutting it with save-now countermoves turns good money into bad.
6. With the presence of Nash, Kobe and two talented big men, if the Lakers can find a spot-up shooter on the wing, they'll be in fantastic shape.
7. This ends the Ramon Sessions era in Los Angeles, as a source told ESPN LA's Ramona Shelburne the team is no longer pursuing the free-agent guard.
8. The next time someone tells you Jim Buss isn't interested in winning, you have your rebuttal.
9. The next time you see Suns owner Robert Sarver and team president Lon Babby, give 'em a hug. They traded Nash to a division rival, in part because they respected his desire both to win and stay close to his three children in Phoenix. (The draft picks help, obviously.) Suns fans might get just a touch apoplectic over this, but Lakers fans owe the Suns' brass some thanks.
Joined: 02 Jun 2009 Posts: 2415 Location: Far from home
Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2012 7:53 am Post subject:
It's a pretty good talent upgrade (top drawer perimeter shooting, top drawer ability to integrate disparate offensive skills, court and locker room leadership) overall over RS. It's possibly an even better acquisition in terms of the low costs to the franchise:
- use of the (Odom-related) trade exception
- loss of two future first round picks, two future second round picks and $3M
It's also a bit of mortgaging the future beyond 2014. _________________ “These GOAT discussions are fun distractions while sitting around waiting for the pizza to be served.”
I changed my tune when I heard that NBA doctors universally say that his issue is not something that is likely to be chronic.
I don't know where you heard that, but no doctor could give that sort of prognosis without actually examining Howard after he completes rehab. If someone cuts on your back, armchair opinions aren't worth much.
His surgeon has, for one. Dr. Watkins, who is a renouned Orthopedic Surgeon in Marina del Rey, has said that it shouldn't be a factor next season or throughout his career.
I ran a Google search, and the best I came up with was a comment by Watkins that he was "optimistic" that Howard would be able to play next year. I don't claim to have followed every story about the surgery, so I may very well have missed something. However, I really don't see how any doctor could give that sort of prognosis this soon after the surgery.
This may have been answered but how were the lakers able to trade the 2013 first round pick? Since they had previously dealt the 2012 first round pick? Thanks
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