June 25, 2012
The Suns have an NBA-high $23 million in cap space heading into free agency, and that would be useful if there were anyone worth spending it on. With Dwight Howard re-upping for one more year in Orlando and no other superstars in their contract years, the list of elite unrestricted free agents looks like this: Deron Williams, Steve Nash. That's it.
Considering that the Suns finished .500 and three games out of a playoff spot, there's little question that upgrades are needed -- Nash specifically said as much in his heavily cited radio tour late in the year -- and the lack of free-agent options provided some credibility to a report two weeks ago in the New York Daily News that claimed Williams would be the Suns' top target in the event of a Nash departure.
"If they lose Steve, then they plan to go after Deron, hard,” said a person with knowledge of the Suns' plans. "They know he loves golf and they’re going to try to sell him on going out there."
That plan would make sense, if for no other reason than to offer season-ticket holders something worth watching in an apocalyptic post-Nash world. It also might be rendered moot.
According to ESPN's Marc Stein, who cites sources close to Williams, the Nets point guard has already narrowed his list to Brooklyn and Dallas and will be deciding between those two teams shortly after the start of free agency on July 1.
And any plans to woo Williams with a round at Grayhawk won't get very far, assuming Stein's sources are accurate.
"Sources say Williams, in any case, already has instructed his representatives to advise any team that calls starting at 12:01 a.m. July 1 that he intends to either re-sign with the Nets or return to his hometown with the Mavericks after a glittering high school career in the Dallas area."
Stein also points out that the 28-year-old Williams, in a promotional appearance last month, said he'd prefer "to go to a place where I feel like they will have a chance to build and build fast," adding, "I'm not really in the mood for being part of a rebuilding process."
Since "rebuilding" would seem to be an accurate description of the Suns' state without Nash, it's probably time to lower the odds of Williams ending up in Phoenix from, say, 1 percent to 0 percent.
And with no other players readily available who would fit the Nash-ultimatum description of a "serious upgrade," which in turn would seem to increase the likelihood of Nash playing elsewhere next season ... well, let's just say it would behoove the Suns to make good use of the 13th pick in the draft Thursday.
-- Matt Swartz
