SH Blog: The Steve Nash Race Heats Up, Plus More

With Deron Williams staying with the Nets, the next big free agent point guard moving closer to a decision is Steve Nash. Nash is currently holding an offer from the Raptors, and the Knicks are trying to work out a sign-and-trade that would move some combination of Iman Shumpert, Josh Harrellson, Toney Douglas, Jerome Jordan and Dan Gadzuric (non-guaranteed contract) to Phoenix.

There is other stuff going on, too:

Aside from the Nets’ complications in getting a deal done for Dwight Howard, and the withdrawal of Lamar Odom from the U.S. Olympic Team, check out Tweet of the Day from Al Horford in Venezuela, where Timofey Mozgov was injured in Russia’s win over the Dominican Republic, along with AJ Mitnick’s outline of the Olympic men’s basketball qualifying tournament. Also, keep an eye on our team-by-team offseason activity analysis index.

Some more linkage from around the Web:

• Alan Hahn of the MSG Network via Sulia: “Indications are the Knicks are his top choice, but because a trade is complicated (and there is great hesitation to give up Iman Shumpert), the Raptors are in play. A lot of effort has been made, however, to get this done.”
• From Marc J. Stein of ESPN.com: “One source close to the talks told ESPN.com: “The Knicks don’t want to trade (Shumpert), but they will if they have to. They want Nash.”  If the Knicks and Suns can come to terms on a deal, Nash would receive a three-year contract in the $25 million range. … Stein adds that the Raptors and Mavericks “remain firmly in the hunt for Nash,” and that while the Lakers have interest, the Suns are hesitant to help a division rival out with a sign and trade.
• If the Lakers can acquire Nash, writes Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times, “it would have to be via trade and not free agency because they can offer him only $3 million next season, the “mini” mid-level exception.  The Lakers could try to acquire him via the $9-million traded-player exception they received from the Lamar Odom trade last season.”
• But that remains unlikely, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports the Knicks have emerged as the leaders in the Nash race.  Wojnarowski writes: “Nash and the Knicks are in the critical stages of discussions on a three-year deal worth between $27 million-$30 million to be executed through a sign-and-trade deal with the Suns. The Knicks would send rookie guard Iman Shumpert and two players – including Toney Douglas and Dan Gadzuric – to Phoenix for Nash, sources said.”
• A stumbling block to sign and trade negotiations between the Knicks and Suns was Landry Fields agreeing to an offer sheet with the Raptors.  According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, “Fields, a key piece in Nash sign-and-trade talks with Phoenix, agreed to terms on a back-loaded, 3-year, $19 million offer sheet with the Raptors, according to his agent Chris Emens. The Knicks do not plan to match when it is presented to them on July 11.”  This means that Shumpert will have to go to Phoenix in any Nash deal, which hurts the Knicks’ chances at landing Nash, but according to a source quoted by Berman, “doesn’t kill” them.
• Another important note with regards to Nash comes from Bruce Arthur of the National Post on Twitter: “One factor: people close to Nash say he wants his ex-wife to agree to move the kids to the city he chooses. They’ve lived in New York.”
• In other Knicks news, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports says they’ll match any offer sheet for Jeremy Lin, apparently regardless of whether or not they land Nash.
• The Raptors are in a similar situation: “With or w/out Nash, sources say, Raps will keep trying to trade for Kyle Lowry. Raps talked deals w/HOU at draft. Still want him either way,” tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
• Yesterday, reports came out that Jason Terry would sign with the Celtics at a three-year deal for the mid-level exception.  But Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported that Terry would give the Mavericks a chance to counter.  Today, Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports reported via Sulia that Terry would definitely not be returning to Dallas.  “Jason Terry said today it “definitely won’t be Dallas’’ where he plays next season. “They didn’t offer,’’ said Terry, who said he never got a contract offer from the Mavericks, the team he played for from 2004-12 and helped lead a title to in 2011.”
• Another team is entering the Ray Allen sweepstakes.  According to the LA Times’ Broderick Turner, the Clippers “scheduled a visit by free-agent guard Ray Allen for Friday, according to NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.”  The Grizzlies and Heat are also interested in Allen, and the Celtics would also like to retain the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers.
• Free agent center Spencer Hawes has reached agreement on a two-year, $13M-plus extension with Philadelphia, league sources tell Y! Sports.

  July 4, 2012 2:32 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite

  

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• While James Harden could reach free agency, and earn quite a bit there, Kevin Durant says that’s not happening.  RealGM Basketball writes “Durant doesn’t expect Harden to ever reach that stage. “He not hittin the market,” said Durant in a Tweet response to Nate Jones of Goodwin Sports Management.”