An important characteristic of a successful NBA point guard is the ability to read and react.
So ... welcome to the Phoenix Suns' Free-Agency Drama preamble. With Steve Nash playing his pesky unrestricted-free-agent card into our starring role, it's hard to avoid any point-guard chatter when assessing the Suns' needs this summer. The franchise evolution at the position became even more compelling when the Suns drafted North Carolina distributor Kendall Marshall with the 13th pick in Thursday's NBA Draft.
As for reading and reacting, hyper-reflexive media members were advised that no free-agent-related (read: Nash) judgments should be read into the selecting of a player expected to hold down the point guard spot for several years.
We can't help it.
So what about Nash, who reads all situations and reacts more decisively than almost anyone? Well, the Suns can make an offer the two-time MVP may not be able to refuse in financial relevance, but Nash has many additional variables stirred into his future-employment stew.
During Friday's press conference designed as an introduction for Marshall, Suns general manager Lance Blanks -- who spent a large part of Thursday evening encouraging us to avoid reading the draft/free-agency tea leaves -- sounded a bit cryptic regarding the team's next season or two.
"There is a risk of tough times in the near future," Blanks said. "You need a stabilizing force ... not only in the locker room but in the community."
He was referring to Marshall, who might have to help fill a Nash-related vacancy that goes beyond the hardwood.
Although the Suns have missed the playoffs in three of the last four seasons and home attendance slipped to 21st in the NBA during the recently completed campaign, things could get considerably worse with Nash gone. Suns fans -- many of whom believe NBA teams need to crash before they can be bailed out through the draft -- think the situation already looks bleak.
President of basketball operations Lon Babby, who had been steadfast in his refusal to embrace the free-fall concept as a method of staging an uprising, spent part of Friday afternoon sounding a similar "tough times" reminder during a local radio interview.
Instead of looking at Nash as the "sun, moon and stars" of the Phoenix franchise, this potential departure looms as a solar eclipse, a dark side of the franchise moon and a free-falling of its stars.
With the high-scoring perimeter hotshots all gone by the time the Suns were obliged to pick at 13 Thursday night, the go-to gunners Nash claims are necessary to inspire his reenlistment now are limited to the free-agent roll call. But Eric Gordon, Nic Batum and anyone remotely near their level of potential and youth are restricted FAs. The unrestricted yield is bitterly limited, with names such as Nick Young, Randy Foye, Leandro Barbosa and Jason Terry among the most noteworthy. The list does include a couple of young point producers in shorty Lou Williams and O.J. Mayo, with Mayo reaching the unrestricted ranks when the Memphis Grizzlies passed on giving him a qualifying offer.
The Suns could muster enough loot to entice Williams or Mayo, but stronger teams will come calling, probably forcing Phoenix to cough up more money than either is worth.
So while Marshall probably was the Suns' best option at 13 and with a limited free-agent cavalry riding to the team's rescue, there seems to be little upgrade-specific incentive for Nash to remain in Phoenix.
How are the other free-agent point guards reading and reacting to the drafting of Marshall? We'll see, but it's doubtful the recently reported mutual interest between the Suns and 26-year-old Goran Dragic (unrestricted after his deal with the Rockets expired) will percolate with Marshall already here.
The name Raymond Felton (unrestricted and most recently of the Trail Blazers) has popped into Suns-related FA conjecture, but this fitness-challenged former North Carolina star is expected to be looking for a long-term starting role. Good luck to him. Jameer Nelson could be hunting for a new team this weekend, but he doesn't figure to be interested in just keeping the position warm until Marshall takes over.
An interesting name on the unrestricted list is Andre Miller, whose second run in Denver ended as a backup to the blisteringly fast Ty Lawson ... another ex-Carolina point guard. It's conceivable that Miller could be had with an offer that doesn't wreck the Suns' cap flexibility in exchange for the honor of keeping the offense working and showing young Marshall the ropes.
Miller played for Gentry during their one-year intersection with the L.A. Clippers (2002-03), and the two have seemed cordial during hallway encounters prior to Suns-Nuggets games.
But Miller, an L.A. guy who didn't want to be an L.A. guy anymore, slogged his way through his only season with the Clips after they thought they had struck playmaking gold by acquiring him in a trade (for Darius Miles) with the Cleveland Cavaliers. With little interest in staying with the Clippers, Miller turned in his lowest player-efficiency rating through 15 NBA seasons, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
Gentry, it also should be noted, was fired after the Clips started that season 19-39.
A Nash departure could also bring an end to the Suns' employment of unrestricted pal Grant Hill, 39, whose brittle 2011-12 season may reduce what had been keen FA interest around the league last year.
The Suns' unrestricted cast also includes wingers Shannon Brown and Michael Redd.
Brown, who rallied from a slow start to his first season in Phoenix and provided some offensive spark after replacing the injured Hill in the starting lineup, figures to go wherever he can get a multi-year deal. If Nash leaves, the Suns probably would be willing to forgo a bit of cap space in next summer's market and give Brown more than one year.
Redd, who had two knee surgeries and two missed seasons, was sort of reborn though work with the Suns' celebrated medical/training/conditioning staff. A multi-year offer probably isn't awaiting Redd just anywhere, so -- if they Suns are interested -- he might return just to continue his physical recovery.
The Nash saga may even impact the Suns' restricted free-agent list, with point guard Aaron Brooks back from China and looking for a sweet deal. Like center Robin Lopez, Brooks received a qualifying offer a few days ago, giving the Suns a shot at matching the best open-market offer. If it's not a pedestrian offer, don't hold your breath waiting to see him back in Phoenix.
But he'd be a perfect counter to Marshall -- a me-first point guard sharing time with a team-first point guard.
The Suns have declared their intention to match the best offer for Lopez. We'll just have to wait and see if interested NBA teams behave with less spending intelligence than the Suns think they will.
