By Steve Nash Claims Money is a ‘Very Important’ Factor in Free Agency, Won’t Necessarily Sign On With A ‘Dream Team’
June 26, 2012 – 9:15 am by Steven Cuce
Over the weekend there was a report from Eric Smith of Sportsnet 590 The Fan that free agent Steve Nash had a three-team shortlist of Portland, Phoenix and Toronto as the teams he wished to finish his career with. Nash appeared on ESPN Radio on Monday to promote his upcoming soccer tournament in New York, but he also gave his pre-free agency address to the NBA world.
The free agent point guard is still claiming he’s “open to everything,” but now it has become apparent money will play a factor. No.13 doesn’t hid the fact that he’s not sold on any particular team just yet and won’t necessarily be steered to a team to just win an NBA Championship either.
Steve Nash joined 98.7 ESPN New York with Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco to discuss money being a big factor for him in free agency, still being open to signing with the New York Knicks knowing their financial limitations, Mike D’Antoni not playing a factor in why he wouldn’t sign with the Knicks, not knowing exactly what offers are on the table for him just yet and being an old school type of player who wouldn’t just sign with a “Dream Team” to win a championship.
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.”
Are you still interested in signing with the New York Knicks knowing their financial limitations?
“Yeah, It sounds like a company line but my situation right now is I’m open to everything. I really don’t know until the [July] 1st what concrete opportunities will be there. But I’ll definitely look at every situation comes my way Sunday and not close myself to any opportunities.’’
How much if at all does Mike D’Antoni not being here play a factor in the attractiveness to the Knicks to you?
“Well everyone knows I love Mike and we had some good years together and so it would have kind have been like another factor in everything, but what’s in the past is in the past. I’m not really…when Sunday comes around I’m obviously going to have to look at everything with fresh new eyes and figure out what is the best situation for me.”
Are you trying to tell me you have no preferences to where you sign? How about the Knicks? South Beach? Los Angeles?
“It’s not that I don’t have preferences. Obviously how many guys in the world wouldn’t love to play for these franchises? They all sound great. I’m legitimately in a position right now though where I really don’t know what offers are out there and who’s going to come calling and what they are going to put on the table and what I am going to have to sift through to make a decision? Everything sounds great in theory, but when you come down to it what are people really…who’s interested? Who are they really offering? Where are they really going? Those are all things you can’t really over speculate until Sunday and actually talk to people, so I am looking forward to it. It’s going to be exciting and I am sorry I can’t break the news.”
If you were to sign with the Miami Heat would a championship be less gratifying if you won with them as oppose to going somewhere and beating the Heat?
“It’s a good question. The truth is I am bit old school. I think for me it would be hard to put on a Lakers jersey. That’s just what it is. You play against them so many times in the playoffs and I just use them as an example with the uttermost respect for them and their organization. I think it was Larry Bird that was like he wouldn’t play for them type thing. I kind of have that tendency. It is strange, but as a free agent you are free to go wherever you want and I’d have to consider everything regardless of the past or future. You have to evaluate that moment, but it is…do you go there and everyone is like you went there and won a championship? Who cares? They won it the year before without you. Or is it better to go somewhere else and knock them off? These are all things that I think are fun to talk about, but at the end of the day I gotta make a decision that works best for me and my family and not really worry and put too many things into my decision.”
Listen to Steve Nash on 98.7 ESPN New York here
Tags: 98.7 ESPN New York, NBA, NBA Free Agency, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Stephen A.Smith and Ryan Ruocco, Steve Nash
7 Trackback(s)
Jun 26, 2012: Nash, ‘It Would Be Hard To Put On A Lakers Jersey’ « CBS Los Angeles
Jun 27, 2012: Steve Nash admits ‘it would be hard to put on a Lakers jersey’ | Larry Brown Sports
Jun 27, 2012: Knicks Rumors: Signing Jason Kidd Would Be a Smart, Frugal Move for New York | SPORTS HITS
Jul 1, 2012: Steve Nash receives Raptors offer, Suns chasing free agents
Jul 4, 2012: How will Steve Nash look in a Lakers’ jersey? – Lakers blog : The Orange County Register
Jul 6, 2012: Sports Radio Interviews » Blog Archive » Steve Nash: “I gave everything I had to the Suns. I’m sorry for those that I upset, but my kids come first.”
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