Suns President: Steve Nash Not Going To Knicks... Or Anywhere Else
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) -- Sorry, Knicks fans.
The Suns are again shooting down Steve Nash trade rumors.
In an email on Wednesday, Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby emphatically repeated the statement he made earlier in the day to The Arizona Republic, saying, "We are not trading Steve Nash, period, exclamation point."
Earlier this week, the New York Post mentioned a possible trade to the Knicks for Chauncey Billups, a deal that made little sense unless Nash asked for it.
"There have been renewed whispers the Knicks have inquired about Suns point guard Steve Nash," wrote The Post's Marc Berman on Tuesday. "The Knicks have talked internally about trading Chauncey Billups for Nash as both have expiring contracts."
The 37-year-old Nash has never publicly expressed any interest in being traded as he enters the final year of his contract with Phoenix.
"I only focus on trying to get our team back into contention and making the playoffs," Nash said before hosting a charity soccer match Wednesday in New York City. "I don't pay attention to anything else. But it's nice that they say, you know, 'We want you here.'"
A prolific user of Twitter, Nash has not mentioned the Suns or his contract status in recent tweets, mostly concentrating on his soccer match, his reaction to the Stanley Cup finals and subsequent riot in his beloved Vancouver. His Facebook wall is filled with pleas for him to come to the poster's favorite team, or to go nowhere at all.
It seems the only way Nash would be traded is if he asked for it.
"They've told me plenty of times they don't want to move me, so I don't think they need to call me every day. I'm not up to date on all the rumors," said the two-time league MVP. "Right now I have a contract with the Suns. I hope this year is better than last and I'm ready to keep playing in Phoenix and continue to build the team and win a championship."
Nash said he'd entertain an extension so he can play at least two more seasons.
The Suns have had difficulty finding a point guard to groom as his successor. That led to speculation that Phoenix might draft BYU's dynamic Jimmer Fredette, a player the Knicks also have interest in, and try to convert him into an NBA guard.
Nash, in his 14th NBA season, averaged 14.7 points per game. At 11.4 per game, he led the NBA in assists for the fifth time in his seven seasons since rejoining the Suns in 2004.
Nash said he'll let everybody else talk about rumors of him playing elsewhere next season while he continues to work on his game.
"That's what I want to use my energy on," he said. "I don't want to waste it."
Knicks fans: do you even want Steve Nash on your team? Sound off in the comment below...
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