By David Kay
When the Suns dealt Shaq to Cleveland for ultimately two expiring contracts and a future second-round pick, it seemed as if a re-building process was imminent in the Desert. There were even rumors that Amare Stoudemire was going to be traded to Golden State. But instead of tearing apart the nucleus that helped Phoenix rise to one of the best and most exciting teams in the Western Conference, they ensured that the squad would continue to shine brightly.
The rise of the Suns directly coincided with the signing of Steve Nash in 2004. Nash took the reigns of the offense and earned back-to-back MVP honors. Entering the final year of his contract in Phoenix, the Suns and Nash agreed to a 2-year contract extension worth $22 million, further proving that Phoenix is not ready to blow up their roster.
Nash is getting up their in age, but he is still a very valuable player who knows how to run an offense, is a solid three-point threat, and happens to be automatic from the free-throw line. Eleven million is a reasonable price to pay for Nash, assuming he still has gas in the tank to play at a high level for another three seasons.
It is a little surprising that Nash decided to re-sign now rather than wait until the 2010 offseason and see what the market for an established veteran point guard would be. But since he is turning 36 this season, Nash may have been wise in taking the guaranteed money now in case this was the year that his age caught up to him.
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For a similar analysis of the Jarret Jack signing click here