In what's become a reoccurring pattern, Phoenix Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby went on local radio and denied in clear and strong words the notion that they are trading Steve Nash. Babby called Nash the "sun and the moon and the stars" of the franchise. You have to give him credit for using such a cute phrase.
There was a time when denials like this were completely believable because the rumors didn't make sense back when they first surfaced in November. But that was before the team made yet another big mid-season trade and hit the reset button on this season with an eye towards the future. Shedding Hedo Turkoglu's long-term contract in favor of Vince Carter's expiring one was a huge part of that decision. Adding Marcin Gortat and Mickael Pietrus were sweeteners to the deal and added more role players to a team already full of them and gave the team even more roster flexibility.
So, when Babby says he can squash the rumors "with a capital squash," we just have to take that for what it is -- a denial of anything imminent and a denial of specific trade discussions. But the report yesterday was that the Suns would take the next month to evaluate their options and there's no reason to think they won't do that.
If the Suns get it together and start playing winning basketball, then Nash would likely stay. If not, this team and this owner have a long, long track record of making moves and we can't forget that Robert Sarver flatly denied he would trade Shawn Marion and then, a few weeks later, traded Shawn Marion.
Bottom line, we will wait and see what happens and for those that don't want to see Nash leave, it's a great time to start hoping and praying that the Suns start winning.
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