MERGED: Steve Nash Thread ("Closer than ever" article pg. 9)

mrorng · Post #1 » by **mrorng** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 7:05 pm

The State of the Suns was discussed with President of Basketball Operations, Lon
Babby on Saturday night. With all of the media speculation and experts discussing the possibility of trading Steve Nash, I wanted to clear that up. In my conversations with Babby prior to the beginning of this season he informed me that Nash has an open invitation to remain a Phoenix Sun as long as he would like. Even with all of the rumors that have been going on lately based on the Suns 7-13 start, Babby is still sending the same message. After he spoke about Steve Nash and received a round of applause from the 50 people in the room he confirmed that Steve Nash will not be leaving the Suns organization at all, unless he requests to leave or chooses to in free agency. For everyone that believes he should be traded, which there was one person that expressed that and Babby explained his reason that Steve Nash will not be traded. Babby said that Nash has “earned the right to stay here as long as he wants.” By doing this, Babby admitted “…that it may slow down the rate of our rebuilding” and said to Nash that, “As long as you are all in, believe in what we are doing and believe in us, you are welcome to stay here as long as you want.” About ten minutes later, Babby was directed asked a clarifying question. “So do you guarantee that Steve Nash will not be traded unless he requests to be traded?” To which Babby answered, “Correct. That is what I said.”
Babby elaborated on why this is the best decision for the franchise and the future.
“What we are trying to build is a culture. Part of that is how you treat the players and
Steve Nash has earned this right. I felt the same way about Grant. If Steve comes to us
and says I want to leave, then we will do something with it. However, it would be our
honor if he retired a Phoenix Sun, went into the Ring of Honor and was inducted into the
Hall of Fame with a Suns jersey. If that slows us down a little bit, that is the price I am
willing to pay.”

There you have it. For the fans out there that are apart of the “Free Nash” campaign, Babby recognized and respected that point of view, but said that it was not in the best interest of the organization or Nash to go any other route.

Cutter · Post #2 » by **Cutter** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 7:27 pm

Thanks for the post Orange. That is consistent with what I have heard Babby say several times on the radio.

So..........painting yourself orange and going to games makes you somewhat of an insider and allows you to go to meetings with the team GM? If I painted myself purple and did the same could I become an insider as well? :lol:

we could be a team ...you're Planet Orange and I would be Planet Purple. :lol:

Thanks for the post.

mrorng · Post #3 » by **mrorng** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 7:40 pm

Haha... you are welcome. This season they made me a volunteer "Social Media Fan Ambassador" and there are about 12 of us total.
As for Lon and the guys, they allow me access to them on my own, so that is where most of it comes from, but like last night was a meeting with a group of us and Lon. Bring all the purple and energy anytime!

RaisingArizona · Post #4 » by **RaisingArizona** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 8:03 pm

Is there any indication Nash wants to stay here after this year? If he walks for nothing, that's just another slap in the face to an already black and blue franchise.

mrorng · Post #5 » by **mrorng** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 8:09 pm

Nope. From the conversations I have had with him personally, he wants to stay right here and has maintained that, even through the most recent road trip.

I totally get what you are saying with the slap in the face, should he choose to leave. I do not think he will, but Lon believes there is not that much value out there for him and he wants Steve to make the decision to retire here or leave and hopes that he will stay.

NiGhtWiSh · Post #6 » by **NiGhtWiSh** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 8:36 pm

Babby has an easy job, saying "Nash will not be traded". Nash will not be traded, 'cause nobody wants any trade for 38YO guy for more than $10kk a year, even if he's still ballin' great.
I'm 1000% sure, Babby tryied all the ways to trade Nash this offseason.

Calvin Klein · Post #7 » by **Calvin Klein** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 9:38 pm

Cutter wrote:Thanks for the post Orange. That is consistent with what I have heard Babby say several times on the radio.

So..........painting yourself orange and going to games makes you somewhat of an insider and allows you to go to meetings with the team GM? If I painted myself purple and did the same could I become an insider as well? we could be a team ...you're Planet Orange and I would be Planet Purple.

Thanks for the post.

If I'm not mistaken there's already a guy in Purple who would be Mr Orng's "Robin". Am I correct?

_Nashoholic_ · Post #8 » by **_Nashoholic_** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 9:50 pm

Babby is a tool

RunSunRun · Post #9 » by **RunSunRun** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:03 am

Not surprising, but hypothetically speaking, what if there is a talented PG out there for us to get at the end of this season. Do we stick with Nash if he wants to come back or do we go with the younger guy?

Part of me wants to see Nash retire a Sun, but the other part wants us to retool quickly as fast as possible, the longer we stay in the cellar with the perennial bad teams the longer I fear we will end up just like them in the long run.

mybloodisorange · Post #10 » by **mybloodisorange** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:57 am

I wonder if Babby is aware that the fans are ready to rebuild and not clinging to the Nash era like he and Sarver are. I understand that there are casual basketball fans who go to see Steve play but attendance is already down and they are just delaying the inevitable. I love Nash as much as anyone; but I am a Suns fan and keeping Nash at this point is hurting the Suns more than helping. Watching Nash limp into the sunset while helping us win just enough games to dilute our draft position while the team has no real chance of winning isnt doing anyone any favors.

Revived · Post #11 » by **Revived** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 7:42 am

This is what happens when you hire player agents as president of a franchise.

Babby is so used to only caring about the players that even right now he only cares about the players, but not the franchise.

wordsenuff · Post #12 » by **wordsenuff** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 8:17 am

thanks for the post mr.orange. its good to see you posting on the board. :tooth

me personally, i would love to see nash retire in a suns uni. i know we should rebuild asap, but i just feel nash is the heart and soul of this team.
if he decides he wants o play else where, im fine with that too.

mrorng · Post #13 » by **mrorng** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 8:42 am

Let me try to help clarify a little bit of what Babby was getting across with Steve. If was not that he is hanging onto him. He said that treating a player of Steve's magnitude "a franchise player like a Stockton, though he had a blip where he played somewhere else (Dallas), has a right to decide how long they want to be apart of the franchise." Babby said that giving Steve the respect of deciding when he wants to leave Phoenix will go a long way with the current players and players in the future, because they will see how Steve was treated and the situation was handled so that when the Suns try to get a big name or two for the long haul, they will see how the organization values a player of that magnitude.

He did admit that he understands the other side of it and traded Steve or not resigning him, but said he felt that this was the best decision for the long term future of the organization, even if keeping him slows down our rebuilding process. Which directly ties into one of your posts about bringing in a younger point guard.

SunsFever · Post #14 » by **SunsFever** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 12:12 pm

Yeah, ofcourse. He can afford to say these things, because he knows that he will not get fair value for Nash. I mean, It just wouldn't be right to dump Nash somewhere, juzst because we need some more picks. So on one hand Babby can say all these things, because one he knows he would get fair value, and he gets to be the guy who didn't want to, but potentialy traded Nash because he requested so.
I love Nash, and woudn't mind if we rebuild a few years longer just because of all the things Nash did for this franchise.

Frank Lee · Post #15 » by **Frank Lee** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 12:21 pm

BabbyLon may be trumpeting the R E S P E C T tune to steve, but once he starts courting DWill to get DHoward we'll hear a sour note.

Probably though, before the conductors wand is lifted, both DH and DW will submit their limited play list sparing BabbyLon from a backtracking recital.

GrantHill · Post #16 » by **GrantHill** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 4:26 pm

Hoopsworld:

Sources close to the process say that what’s been offered for Nash is laughable at best and that as long as Steve wants to be in Phoenix, he’ll be a Sun.

Suns fans are worried that the team may lose a future hall of famer to free agency, but sources close to the situation say the Suns may be willing to do a new deal with Nash this summer in the $8 to $10 million range to insure Steve stays in Phoenix and that kind of money may be more than anyone else in free agency would or could pay for Nash.

eastsidecrossover · Post #17 » by **eastsidecrossover** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 4:52 pm

GrantHill wrote:Hoopsworld:

Sources close to the process say that what’s been offered for Nash is laughable at best and that as long as Steve wants to be in Phoenix, he’ll be a Sun.

Suns fans are worried that the team may lose a future hall of famer to free agency, but sources close to the situation say the Suns may be willing to do a new deal with Nash this summer in the $8 to $10 million range to insure Steve stays in Phoenix and that kind of money may be more than anyone else in free agency would or could pay for Nash.

boy, I cant wait till Sarver comes out and says heres our big FA signing this year. And its a 38 yr old steve nash. :roll:

eastsidecrossover · Post #18 » by **eastsidecrossover** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 5:03 pm

I love Nash, and he is my favorite sun of all time. But this is business to me. Suns have not made good basketball decisions in a few years. I like many fans would love to see nash retire a sun, but when I look at the future, it is bleak for planet orange, especially to hang our hat on Nash going forward. To me, this mentality from a business man does not make any sense. your like Kodak who is keeping with the traditional film while everyone else is moving ahead of you and going digital. And now they are bankrupt. Nash, a great product that puts butts in some seats into the arena is not a long term solution, but a high draft pick is. You want to start with some excitement with a young stud to reinvigorate your fan base with a bright future.

When there's a deep and start potential drafts like this one and next years that you can build a team around, you have to secure a position to land one of those studs. Instead we are pushing for the 10th pick in the draft.............or at best the 8th seed of the playoff sweep. This is a recipe for bottom dweller. I do hope this is Babby fooling everyone, being a great salesmen as a former agent by driving up the demand for Nash by the trade deadline. I hope so for the suns sake.

NiGhtWiSh · Post #19 » by **NiGhtWiSh** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 5:12 pm

The more they are talking "Steve will stay", the more I'm sure he'll be traded.

I'll send him even for a very late 1st rounder & expiring. Maybe for a 2nd rounder, too.

Damn, i'll trade him for any pick. He's going out for free if we don't take anything for him... Even a late 2nd rounder...

HootieRules · Post #20 » by **HootieRules** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 5:43 pm

mrorng wrote: “If that slows us down a little bit, that is the price I am
willing to pay.”

Drafting at 10-15 instead of in the top 5 for a few years is not slowing down the franchise "a little bit." It is destroying the franchise and a fancy way of saying "we're too shortsighted and just want to sell as many tickets as we can now while completely ignoring the future."

This organization is a joke. If they really think some sort of poetic loyalty to Nash is more important than the long-term future of the franchise than they are dumber than I thought.

Nash doesn't want to play for a loser. He's a competitor. He's never going to go to the front office and say "trade me" because he's a stand-up guy. The organization is using that to their advantage and feeding us this garbage.