The shortened offseason and free agency period spurred by the lockout saw a boatload of players switching teams, even big names like Chris Paul and Lamar Odom are wearing new threads.
But still, arguably the most coveted point guard by contending franchises remains a Sun.
The 37-year-old Nash has been in his prime for nearly a decade now, and his brilliance at the helm of some of the league's most prolific offenses in history has not gone unnoticed by NBA general managers.
According to Nick Borges of ESPN's Rumor Central, "Nash is a free agent after the season and he will either re-sign with the Suns or move on to the Knicks in the summer."
Nash has been adamant about his love for Phoenix and his desire to finish his career with the Suns, but at the same time, Nash, more than any other veteran in the league, deserves to play for a winner.
The Suns start and end with Nash. His 14.7 ppg and 11.4 apg were team-bests last season, and his assist numbers were tops in the league for any point guard.
"I've met with him and he knows he's welcome to stay here as long as he wants, the opportunity is available to him." - Lon Babby, Suns President of Basketball Operations via The Arizona RepublicNash would never disrespect the fans who have given him so much love in the desert for the past seven seasons by demanding a trade or forcing his way off the roster, but those same fans would never blame him for doing so.
They would love to see him raise the Larry O'Brien Trophy as a Sun, but Phoenix is a 100-1 long-shot to win the title this season.
They are coached by his good friend and former head coach Mike D'Antoni, who helped Nash develop into a two-time MVP, and how can anyone forget the deadly pick-and-roll game Nash and Knicks' forward Amar'e Stoudemire created in Phoenix in the mid to late-2000s.
With Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony ready to become the faces of the franchise, a 38-year-old Nash would have the perfect role on the perfect team.He wouldn't be asked to lock down opposing point guards, after all Tyson Chandler (1.3 bpg career average) can protect the rim better than any center Nash has ever played with.
Nash wouldn't have to carry the scoring load late in the game, or even throughout, Anthony (26.3 ppg with Knicks last season) and Stoudemire (25.3 ppg with Knicks last season) would do that.
The offense would be simplified under D'Antoni, Nash would once again be a lethal pick-and-roll operator, deciding whether to feed Stoudemire for an easy flush, find a slashing Anthony or pull up for a near-automatic jumper.
Steve Nash in New York is the stuff dreams are made of, if you love basketball then the idea of what could be gives you chills.
Just imagine how unselfish the Knicks would be, and how potent they could be offensively with such an efficient maestro running the show, while at the same time defending key areas of the floor.
It would be a flawless scenario, the perfect mix of youth and leadership.
Nash is destined for the Big Apple, even if he remains a Sun well into 2012 and doesn't end up there until next summer.
