Free-agent PG Steve Nash has a very important decision to make going into the 2012-2013 NBA season, and that involves deciding which team makes most sense for him to sign with, as it's perhaps the last team he'll play for in his illustrious career. On the heels of a report from SportsNet that Nash's three-team list has been pared down to Portland, Phoenix, and Toronto, it's natural he'd be asked about his plans when he appeared on ESPN radio to promote a soccer tournament in New York this weekend.
Steve Nash joined 98.7 ESPN New York with Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco to discuss his future, and after the jump find out what he said.
SportsRadioInterviews.com transcribed the conversation. They ask: Are you looking to sign with a team that has a chance at winning a championship or is your decision going to come down to making the most money you can regardless of the teams chances of winning?
"I think there is definitely an element of that. I definitely feel like I want to be validated monetarily to an extent. Maybe not to the same extent, but it's still very important I think. Like I said in our business I think money in many ways represents respect because for example, if you sign with a team and you take half or less money, and then like I said earlier six months later they trade you.
I mean it's one of those things where you can't in our business forgo money all the time. It has to be one of the factors, so it's not everything, but it is important and it'll be one of the factors involved. It's going to be a fascinating week I think for a lot of guys come Sunday and it's going to be interesting to see where everyone falls and what the opportunities align for each person and how they handle that decision because there are so many factors and a person in my position...there's probably going to be a lot of different levels of opportunities whether it's on the winning spectrum or the financial spectrum or the environment or the organization, so it's going to be interesting and Phoenix is still a part of that so I'll see how this week plays out."
Head over to SportsRadioInterviews for the rest of the conversation.