We already know the Phoenix Suns won't be trading Steve Nash. President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby said so in no uncertain terms. The man couldn't have been more clear and specific in his denial in response to more Nash trade rumors if he put his hand on a bible and swore an oath or took the Unbreakable Vow.
So there it is, story over. Steve Nash is not being traded and Steve Nash agreed...except he sort of opened the door just a tad. Uh oh.
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"This is a tough question for me," Nash said. "When you're in a situation (where) you've given a lot of you career to one franchise, you feel at home there. I feel a loyalty to my team, our community in Phoenix. I want us to try to get back and try to compete for a championship like we did two seasons ago so that's kind of all I think about."
And if Nash had stopped there, his boss back in Phoenix would be a happy man having not risked magical death by breaking the Unbreakable Vow. But instead, Nash threw just a hint of chaos into the mix. He's a trickster like that sometimes...
"So I don't plan on leaving but obviously if the opportunity were ever there, where Phoenix were rebuilding or whatever happens, Toronto would be an amazing place to play. It's a great city. It'd be at home in Canada. To be a part of their, hopefully, future success would be great but I don't really have any plans other than try to get our team back in the playoffs and contend for a championship."
Toronto. The Raptors. The team with the fifth pick in Friday's draft and one of the best offensive players in the game (Andrea Bargnani) who they seem ready to give up on because he can't play defense (IRONY ALERT!). Nash would be a hero in Toronto and it would position him well for his future run for Prime Minister.
The last time it came up it was just a silly hoax, but let's not forget what Nash said at the time, "I mean, obviously I'll be prime minister one day, but I wasn't going to do it until after I finished playing basketball."
It all makes sense now. Nash plants a story in the local paper showing his willingness to go to Toronto which gives the Suns an out with the fans when they trade him. Nash returns to his home country and turns the Raptors from a 22-win team to a 42-win team and then announces his plans to run for office. Clever, Steve. Very, very clever.
But it doesn't matter, the Suns aren't trading Steve Nash to the Toronto Raptors. They said they weren't and I take them at their word.