You figured there would be a lot of rumors this offseason concerning Steve Nash. Nash is a free agent who will probably be highly coveted by multiple teams looking for that missing point guard that could help lead their team to an NBA championship. However, one team that has emerged at the forefront is the lowly Toronto Raptors, who aren't that good and aren't likely to contend for a title even if they do get Nash. It felt like even being the savior of Canadian basketball wouldn't be enough to get him.
Turns out it might have legs after all. Randy Hill at Fox Sports Arizona files this report that has Toronto being very interested in Nash.
Meanwhile, several NBA personnel executives have confirmed that the Nash-to-Toronto rumors may have real traction.
"I've been hearing that from people that would know," said one Western Conference sharpie, sounding very much like the rest of us. "The Raptors may not be ready to win right away, but with (Andrea) Bargnani, (DeMar) DeRozan and maybe (Jonas) Valanciunas coming over next season, they could be pretty decent right away with Nash. And they could have enough cap space to get something done there."
Valanciunas, the 7-footer chosen fifth overall by the Raptors in the 2011 draft, was the dominant player in last summer's U-19 World Championships. According to reports earlier this month, there's a strong chance he could buy out the last year of his European contract — the Raps are able to pony up roughly a quarter of that price — and play in the NBA next season.
Discuss the Toronto rumors for Nash with Suns fans at Bright Side of the Sun. Talk about Nash with Toronto fans over at Raptors HQ.
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