The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Steve Nash on Friday for Game 3 against the San Antonio Spurs, Lakers head coach Mike D’Antoni said. Andrew Goudelock will start at point guard in Nash’s absence. The 39-year-old point guard has missed 32 regular season games this year and a sore back has kept Nash sidelined for much of April.

Nash had been relying on epidural shots in his back to help alleviate enough pain to play against the Spurs. Nash played in 31 minutes in the Game 2 loss to the Spurs but was visibly bothered by the injury by having trouble getting up and down the court. Nash scored nine points and had six assists in the losing effort.

Steve Nash is officially OUT tonight. @0goudelock will start alongside @dariusmorris4. #GoLakers—
Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 27, 2013

Lakers guard Steve Nash is expected to play in Game 2 against the Spurs. (Brett Deering/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Nash expects to play in Game 2 of their first-round series against the San Antonio Spurs despite being less than 100 percent.

Nash missed the last eight games of the regular season with back, hip and hamstring problems.

Nash played in the Lakers 91-79 Game 1 loss to the Spurs on Sunday, logging 29 minutes and scoring 16 points with three assists and only one turnover. Game 2 is Wednesday night and he did participate in today’s practice.

“It’s not great, it’s not going to be great.” Definitely an “is what it is” scenario he has to make the most of,” Nash said according to the team’s Twitter feed. 

Nash admitted he was sore after the game, but said that the team needed him out of the floor.

“I’m not myself,” Nash said to the Los Angeles Times after the game. “I’m not moving that well. I’m struggling a little bit. I probably had a few shots in there that I probably normally make, but I still think it’s important to try and contribute. We don’t have enough points in our lineup every night.”

Lakers’ guard Steve Nash practiced with the team on Friday and is “very optimistic” about playing in the opening round of the playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. The 39-year-old point guard has missed 32 regular season games this year with an assortment of injuries and a bothersome hamstring has caused Nash to miss all eight of the Lakers games in April.

Nash had two epidural shots in his lower back on Tuesday to help alleviate some of the pain he was feeling in his hamstring. Nash told Yahoo! Sports reporter Marc J. Spears that if the epidural shots worked, he could have a chance to play against the Spurs on Sunday.

Nash was running half-court sets with the Lakers during practice Friday and teammate Steve Black expected Nash to start alongside him on Sunday. Mike D’Antoni said that Nash will be a game-time decision against the Spurs.

Steve Nash: "I'm very optimistic I can play on Sunday"—
Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 19, 2013

Steve Blake says that he thinks there's a good chance the Lakers will go with a starting backcourt of him and Steve Nash vs the Spurs—
Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 19, 2013

2013 NBA Playoff Schedule

Steve Nash said his back tightened up in the first quarter of Friday’s game in Portland, but he still hit the go-ahead jumper with 1:44 left. (Noah Graham/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Nash had his worst shooting effort of the season during Friday night’s 111-107 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, scoring just four points on 2-for-11 shooting.

After the game, Nash admitted to feeling back pain from the first quarter on, according to the Los Angeles Times‘ Eric Pincus.

The 39-year-old said that he could not pinpoint when he began feeling what he called “tightness,” but that he expects to play on Sunday when the Lakers face the Mavericks in Dallas.

“I tweaked my back in the first quarter and it kept locking up,” said Nash. “It was tight the whole game and I couldn’t get the mobility.”

…

“Tonight I couldn’t make shots but I tried to be there for my teammates,” said Nash, who also dished six assists.

Nash, whose 11.7 points per game is his lowest output since his fourth season in the league, sank a jumper with 1:44 left to give L.A. a 107-105 lead.

“When the ball got kicked out to me, and I didn’t feel comfortable catching and shooting it because I was backing into it and I felt stiff,” he said, “so I just tried to take my guy one on one and get deep and get a little fadeaway off — and I was able to knock it in.”

He missed nearly two months of action earlier in the season after fracturing a bone in his leg.

Lakers point guard Steve Nash will make his much-awaited return to the team’s lineup on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors, according to ESPN.com and USA Today. He has been sidelined with a fracture in his left leg since Oct. 31.

Nash suffered the injury during the second game of the Lakers’ season, and the team has fallen to 12-14 in his absence. The 17-year veteran struggled during his limited action with Los Angeles, averaging 4.5 points on 33 percent shooting and 4.0 assists in 25 minutes per game during his two games.

League source tells ESPNLA that Steve Nash is on track to play tonight vs. Golden State—
Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) December 22, 2012

The move comes before two pivotal games for the team — tonight’s road matchup with the 18-9 Warriors and a Christmas Day showdown with the Knicks.

Nash’s close relationship with coach Mike D’Antoni was said to be a primary reason that the team chose to fire Mike Brown and hire D’Antoni just five games into the season. Chris Duhon and Darius Morris have split time at point guard in Nash’s absence.

Steve Nash is a game-time decision for Saturday (Brett Deering/Getty Images)

The Lakers’ missing point guard could be back on Saturday. While he’s not definitely in game shape, Nash has promised he would be back on the court at least by Christmas Day.  He fully participated in practice on Thursday and Friday, and will be a game-time decision on Saturday.

The Lakers could definitely use Nash back, as the system Mike D’Antoni wants is weak with Chris Duhon and Darius Morris running the offense. Pau Gasol is also likely to return soon, making Nash’s return even better news for the Lakers.

1/2: Mike D'Antoni said @SteveNash looked good today, meaning he didn't show ill effects from yesterday's full practice.

—
Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) December 21, 2012

Steve Nash practiced Friday for the 2nd time with no setbacks. Nash on Saturday return? "Low chance." Christmas? "For sure."

—
Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 21, 2012

Steve Nash could make his return to the Lakers on Saturday. ( Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Nash is set to return to the lineup on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors after being out since the first week of the season with a fracture in his left leg that turned into nerve damage during rehab.

According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, Nash will practice with the team this week and if all goes well, he will play on Saturday in a road game against the Warriors. The team has three days off after its home game on Tuesday against the Charlotte Bobcats, and Nash will spend the time  doing light workouts to build up to his targeted return of Saturday.

The Lakers have been without Nash since the first week of the season and have also played without backup Steve Blake. The team has struggled with its depleted backcourt, posting an 11-14 record leading up to Tuesday’s game matchup against the B0bcats.

The pressure will be on for Nash and Pau Gasol to prove that they can play together. Gasol will likely return to the team on Tuesday after missing several games with knee tendinitis. The Lakers have reportedly turned down trade offers for the Spaniard because team management promised Nash when they signed him that he would be given the opportunity to play with Gasol. But players that switched teams this summer became trade-eligible Dec. 15 so there could be a number of teams that start placing calls into the Lakers front office. The Lakers reportedly have an interest in acquiring Jose Calderon or Delonte West, according to Marc Stein of ESPN, which could put pressure on the team to further explore trades involving Gasol if things don’t mesh well once Nash is back.

Steve Nash said he will be out another two weeks. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

It sounds like Steve Nash may not be back until the new year. The Los Angeles Lakers guard said he will not be playing in a game any time soon because of prolonged nerve damage to his leg, and admitted to not being in game-ready shape, according to a report from David Leon Moore of USA Today Sports.

Nash has been out since the first week of the season and seemed all but ready to return to the Lakers from a non-displaced fractured left fibula in mid October. The fibula has healed, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, but now the problem is nerve damage to his leg that became apparent during his rehabilitation.

News of the nerve damage led Nash to believe that he will be out at least two more weeks:

“I think it will be at least another two weeks I can move. I can shoot. I just can’t run full speed. And I’m not even in shape. I’ll probably need at least a week of practice once I start running.”

Speculations have been swirling of Pau Gasol’s exit from Los Angeles, but the Lakers brass deny any such rumor, maintaining that the team will give Nash his fair due with Gasol, as part of the condition for Nash when he decided to leave Phoenix for Los Angeles this past summer. Teams can’t trade free agents acquired during the offseason until Dec. 15, so the team isn’t expecting a move either way any time soon.

The Lakers, currently 9-12 and off to one of their worst starts in franchise history, visit Madison Square Garden to play the Knicks on Thursday.

Lakers big man Pau Gasol is currently out with tendinitis in both knees. (Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images)

Lakers power forward Pau Gasol has been the subject of trade rumors since the season began, especially after the hiring of Mike D’Antoni.

But although Gasol has been warned that he will be traded if he fails to fit into D’Antoni’s system, keeping Gasol was a “prerequisite” to signing point guard Steve Nash, Bay Area radio host and Comcast SportsNet analyst Ric Bucher is reporting.

Source: Ignore any and all trade talk about Pau Gasol because the Lakers landed Steve Nash by promising him he would get to play with Gasol. Nash made it a prerequisite for passing on offers from Toronto and the Knicks that Pau would be around, the source said.

Currently sidelined with knee tendinitis, Gasol is averaging just 12.6 points per game on 42 percent shooting, both well below his career averages. He is owed $19 million this season and about $19.3 next season.

The Lakers’ 107-105 loss to the Rockets on Tuesday night — in which Los Angeles blew a 13-point fourth-quarter lead — dropped their record to 8-10, tied for 11th in the Western Conference.

Nash also remains out with a fracture in his leg. He pushed Suns management to trade him to the Lakers this offseason, and signed a three-year, $27-million deal after a sign-and-trade was complete.

Lakers guard Steve Nash will be out for at least another week with persisting leg pain. (Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images)

Lakers point guard Steve Nash is still recovering from a leg contusion he suffered on Halloween and said he still can’t run without pain. The 39-year-old has missed all of November for the injury and expects to be out at least another week.

The Lakers gave up four draft picks to acquire the guard earlier this year and offered him a three-year contract. While a starting lineup of Nash, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace looks good on paper, all five have had age or injury concerns.

At the original time of the injury, Nash thought it was a minor issue, saying “Luckily it’s not any major structurally or something. It’s just a contusion in that area.”

He will likely have another MRI on Friday, while the struggling 7-8 Lakers continue to wait for his return.

Lakers guard Steve Nash is out at least a week with a small fracture in his left leg. (Cameron Browne/NBAGetty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Nash has small non-displaced fracture in the head of his left fibula and is out for a minimum of a week, the team announced Saturday.

Nash did not play in the Lakers’ 105-95 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers Friday night. Nash was injured when he collided with Portland guard Damian Lillard with 2:26 remaining in the second quarter of Wednesday night’s loss to the Blazers. Backup Steve Blake is expected to take Nash’s place in the starting lineup. Blake started the Clippers game and finished with eight points and two assists before fouling out.

Nash, 38, is averaging 4.5 points and four assists this season for the 0-3 Lakers.

Kobe Bryant said the addition of Steve Nash gives the Lakers a “much, much better chance” at winning a championship. (Harry How/Getty Images)

Kobe Bryant welcomed the addition of Steve Nash to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Bryant told reporters at the Team USA basketball camp in Las Vegas that he was excited at the improved chances Nash gives the Lakers at winning an NBA championship, according to ESPN.

“He gives us a much, much better chance,” Bryant said. “He’s a terrific shooter. And shooting is something that was lacking for us. His ability to playmaker for others out of the pick and roll is one of the best we’ve ever seen. He has a high basketball IQ, in terms of being a coach out on the floor.

Bryant and Nash forged a rivalry through three notable meetings in the NBA Playoffs in 2006, 2007 and 2010, when Bryant’s Lakers met Nash’s Phoenix Suns. Nash even said during the free-agency process that because of his history playing against the Lakers, it would be “hard to put on a Lakers jersey.”

When the Lakers’ sign-and-trade for Nash looked close to being completed this week, Nash even asked Bryant if he had any qualms about teaming up.

“It was more like he wanted to know if I’d be OK with it because he knows how competitive I am and obviously the history we’ve had,” Bryant said. “But I said, ‘Our bond coming in the league together in ’96, especially he and I, because we weren’t necessarily highly regarded coming into that draft. That bond is much bigger than the rivalry we had with Phoenix.’ “

Bryant didn’t offer a comment on whether he hoped the Lakers would continue dealing, specifically with regard to a possible trade for Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard.

“I just wish the best for him and hope he ends up where he’s happy,” Bryant said.

Kobe Bryant says the Lakers are going to have “to be dealt with” now that Steve Nash is on board. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

When Steve Nash was acquired on Wednesday in a sign-and-trade deal to join the Los Angeles Lakers, there was no doubt the rest of the NBA took notice and are doing everything they can to make sure they stay competitive.

The Lakers are once again serious contenders in the Western Conference with the Nash acquisition.

Speaking with Yahoo! Sports, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant summed up what the rest of the league is thinking. “We’re going to have to be dealt with,” he said.

Bryant, who is practicing in Las Vegas with Team USA in preparation for the London Olympics, also told Yahoo! that he immediately wanted Nash when that option became possible.

On Lakers with Nash, Kobe said:"We're going to have to be dealt with." Kobe says he immediately wanted Nash when option became possible.—
Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 06, 2012

Point guard Steve Nash said he is still adjusting to the idea he is a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Veteran point guard Steve Nash said he is still adjusting to the idea of leaving the Phoenix Suns for one of his long-time rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, reports the Arizona Republic‘s Paul Coro.

“I never saw this coming so I’m still not completely through the process of realizing this is a reality,” Nash told Coro.

Once Nash became a free agent, the Suns did not make a contact offer to him, Coro reports.

“It stung a little bit,” Nash told Coro. “At the same time, I can’t fault them. They made a strong move to cut ties and move forward and I get it. Goran (Dragic, a former Nash backup who Phoenix gave a four-year, $30 million deal) is a terrific signing. If they get (Eric) Gordon (by New Orleans not matching a four-year, $58 million offer sheet), they’d have a great backcourt for years.

“A head’s up that they were moving on would’ve meant a lot to me. I don’t have any problem with them going in a new direction. It takes guts to do it. They got younger and more talented. I’m excited for them and Suns fans that they’ll be back in there.”

Nash said he was considering the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks until the Lakers contacted him on Sunday. The team gave him a three-year contract and the chance to contend for a title, but the key factor may have been that moving to Los Angeles will allow Nash to be close to his children. His 7-year-old daughters and 20-month-old son live in the area with his ex-wife, Coro reports.

“I definitely upset some Suns fans and turned down some money but the opportunity with the kids was too good to pass up,” Nash told Coro. “I was more lucky than anything that (the Lakers) are a contender.

“I got everything I wanted if you look at the black and white. But if it wasn’t for the kids and if the Suns weren’t going in a new direction, I don’t think the deal happens. Once the Suns went in a new direction, my next priority was to exhaust the opportunity to be closer to the kids.”

This image of Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash battling will be seen on the practice courts and not in games. (Noah Graham/NBA/Getty Images)

Before agreeing to a sign and trade deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, Steve Nash wanted to make sure it was ok with the one person whose opinion matters the most. Kobe Bryant.

“For me, it was important to speak to him and make sure he was completely on board, and that he could kind of visualize this as being a good fit, and being excited about it. So I spoke to him,” Nash told 710 ESPN. “Kobe, he was great. He was excited, and explained to me how he thought it would help, and why he thought it would be great, and I think a lot of the reasons he had were ones I could already envision before speaking to him.”

The Suns traded Nash on Wednesday and will receive four picks from the Lakers. A first round pick in 2013 and 2015 and second round pick in 2013 and 2014.

Nash believes that the twosome can only benefit the Lakers and get them back into championship form.

“Kobe is still one of the all-time great players in this game. I hope he does have the ball in his hands a lot,” Nash said. “But at the same time, I think it takes pressure off him as someone else can handle the ball, and get him the ball in spots.”

After watching this two-minute YouTube video, Steve Nash’s move to Los Angeles may make more sense.

Nash stars in a video titled “NASH, CAMERA, ACTION: Steve Nash “Dark Knight Rises” Parody.” You can watch the video below.

The point guard plays an overweight Batman who begins a daily workout regime called “Bat/Sanity.” After slimming down from 240 pounds, he sends out a challenge to fight Manny Pacquio.

The video was made by NOC, which produces short videos on the personalities and lives of professional athletes.

Nash has said before that after his playing career is over, he hopes to focus on film. His production company has already made one film, which was turned into an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, and he is said to be producing a Pele documentary to be aired close to the 2014 World Cup.

Steve Nash asked the Suns to be traded specifically to Los Angeles to be closer with his family. (Harry How/Getty Images)

Steve Nash issued a statement to the press on Wednesday evening following the news that the Phoenix Suns had traded the two-time MVP to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for multiple first and second round draft picks.

In the statement, obtained by Marc Stein of ESPN.com, Nash, 38, said that he asked Suns owner Robert Sarver and president of basketball operations Lon Babby to be traded specifically to Los Angeles because he wanted to be closer with his family:

“I approached them and asked if they would be willing to do a sign and trade deal with L.A. because it is very important to me to stay near my children and family. They were very apprehensive and didn’t want to do it. Fortunately for me, they reconsidered.”

In an interview at the end of June with ESPN Radio New York’s Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco, Nash said he’s not keen on the idea of playing for the Lakers:

“I think for me it would be hard to put on a Lakers jersey. That’s just what it is. You play against them so many times in the playoffs, and I just use them as an example with the utmost respect for them and their organization.”

Buried at the very bottom of Marc Stein’s story on ESPN.com on the Steve Nash-to-the-Lakers sign-and-trade deal is the following nugget: that Nash will try to convince forward Grant Hill to make the move west with him.

Sources told ESPN.com that Nash will try to convince longtime teammate Grant Hill, one of his closest friends in the game, to join him with the Lakers. ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher reported over the weekend the Lakers were one of four teams (along with Toronto, New York and Phoenix) in the running for Hill after the 39-year-old’s recent trip to Germany to undergo the same platelet-enrichment treatment on his knee that [Kobe] Bryant credited for his rejuvenated knee last season.

Hill has started 972 of his 997 career regular-season games, but if the Lakers choose to keep Metta World Peace at small forward, Hill, who turns 40 in October, is capable of being a valuable and versatile bench player.

UPDATE: Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports that Hill will decide between two options:

Grant Hill will either join Steve Nash and the Lakers or retire, a source close to the veteran forward told me.—
Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) July 05, 2012

David Aldridge of NBA.com first reported the possibility on Tuesday night, and now John Gambadoro of Sports 620 KTAR in Phoenix is the first to report that the Suns have indeed agreed to send free-agent point guard Steve Nash to the Los Angeles Lakers in a sign-and-trade.

Nash to LA for multiple picks all but done!!!—
John Gambadoro (@Gambo620) July 04, 2012

Suns will get multiple picks from the Lakers, had been talk earlier of two first rounders so my belief is that it is at least the two 1sts—
John Gambadoro (@Gambo620) July 05, 2012

The deal has been confirmed by multiple national writers, including Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com and Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

Nash apparently will be slotted into the $8.9 million trade exception the Lakers received when they sent Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks before last season. Nash’s agent, Bill Duffy, told Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports that Nash will get a guaranteed three-year, $27 million deal.

Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic has details on the draft picks headed back to Phoenix:

In the Nash sign-and-trade, the #Suns will get 2013 & 2015 first-round picks and 2013 & 2014 second-round picks.—
Paul Coro (@paulcoro) July 05, 2012

Spears adds that the Suns will also get $3 million from L.A.

Despite a report earlier in the day that Nash favored the New York Knicks, Gambadoro says that is not true.

New York was never really a serious option for Nash, he preferred the Lakers—
John Gambadoro (@Gambo620) July 05, 2012

So now the Lakers get to put Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant out on the floor together, with Andrew Bynum and Pao Gasol potentially still bait for even bigger fish.

Will Steve Nash reunite with the Dallas Mavericks and play alongside Dirk Nowitzki? (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Mark Cuban and his Dallas Mavericks are pursuing free agents Steve Nash and Jeremy Lin now that his team lost the Deron Williams sweepstakes to Jay-Z and the Brooklyn Nets, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein in a report from ESPN Dallas:

The Dallas Mavericks’ point guard priorities are now shifting to 39-year-old and former Mav Steve Nash and one-time Mavs Summer League hand Jeremy Lin, sources told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein.

Sources say the Mavs will pursue Nash and the New York Knicks’ Lin, who is a restricted free agent. As such, the Knicks can match any offer made to Lin.

Nash is only a year younger than Kidd and can still be among the best starting point guards in the league. It’s unclear whether Kidd will stay in Dallas as a back-up or look elsewhere, perhaps to Brooklyn to be with his old franchise in a new city. The report also noted that Ric Bucher of ESPN The Magazine was told by a source that Kidd is deciding between staying in Dallas and moving to New York to play for the Knicks.

The Los Angeles Lakers are quietly “making a strong bid” for free agent point guard Steve Nash, a source tells David Aldridge of NBA.com.

Because the Lakers, who are well over the salary cap, can only offer Nash the mini mid-level exception, a sign-and-trade with the Phoenix Suns appears the more likely avenue for a deal, Aldridge writes. He also notes that L.A. could return Phoenix a starting point guard in Ramon Sessions.

SI.com’s Sam Amick offers his take on this report:

Regarding Nash-to-Lakers, I'd be surprised if Phoenix would be too eager to cooperate in a sign & trade with their Pacific Division rivals.—
Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 04, 2012

The Toronto Raptors and the New York Knicks are the primary competitors for Nash’s services. A source told Aldridge that Nash is giving the Knicks time to put together a sign-and-trade that the Suns would accept, perhaps an indication that the Big Apple is his preference.

Jeremy Lin will reportedly spend Independence Day in Houston talking to the Rockets. (Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images)

Jeremy Lin, a free agent with the Knicks, will reportedly spend Independence Day in Houston to meet with Rockets team officials, according to a tweet from ESPN NBA beat writer Chris Broussard on Tuesday. David Aldridge of TNT Sports tweeted that sources have confirmed Broussard’s report that Lin will, in fact, be in Houston on July 4 to visit the Rockets.

Aldridge also reported today via Twitter that conversations have stalled between the Rockets and Goran Dragic, who was expected to become the teams starting point guard once Houston figured out an exit plan for Kyle Lowry. Dragic is reportedly looking for $10 million per year.

With Lin in talks with Houston, the Phoenix Suns are looking at Dragic as a possible replacement for Steve Nash if the two-time MVP decides to leave the team, according to a tweet from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. According to Wojnarowski, Phoenix is looking to sign Dragic to a deal estimated at $9 million per year.

Nash has been linked to the Toronto Raptors for a three-year deal worth approximately $36 million and to the New York Knicks to play in a much bigger market but for considerably less money.

Jeremy Lin will visit the Houston Rockets tomorrow, sources say.—
Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) July 03, 2012

Source confirms @Chris_Broussard report that @JLin7 will visit the Rockets tomorrow.—
David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 03, 2012

Rockets look like they're moving on from Goran Dragic negotiations, which have gone nowhere. Dragic looking for $10M/yr.—
David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 03, 2012

So Phoenix trades Goran Dragic AND a 1st pick for Aaron Brooks in 2011, and now wants to pay Dragic between $8M-$9M per year to return? Wow.—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 03, 2012

Free agent point guard Deron Williams will meet with the Dallas Mavericks first on Monday before heading back east to meet with the Brooklyn Nets. (Chris Chambers, Getty Images)

Deron Williams will give the Dallas Mavericks the first shot to woo him in free agency.

Williams will meet with the Mavericks Monday morning before heading back to the East Coast to meet with the Brooklyn Nets later in the evening, ESPN’s Marc Stein reported Sunday.

Last Sunday, Williams narrowed down his choices to remaining with the Nets or signing with the Mavericks. The Nets can offer Williams more money — five years and about $100 million, compared with the Mavericks’ four years and $75 million. But the Mavericks can offer Williams a chance to play for his hometown team and a better chance to play for a championship alongside Dirk Nowitzki.

Stein reported that both Nowitzki and Mavericks owner Marc Cuban have been blowing up Williams’ phone with recruiting pitches since free agency started at 12:01 a.m. Sunday morning. However, neither will be able to make the meeting on Monday.

Previous reports have said that Williams and fellow free-agent point guard Jason Kidd plan to sign together, with the Mavericks or Nets.

The Nets are also planning to meet with free-agent point guard Steve Nash on Monday, Stein reported. Nash already has reportedly received offers from the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors.

The Los Angeles Lakers are the front-runners to land Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon if Steve Nash does, in fact, leave the Phoenix Suns for his native Canada, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

The Raptors would need to use the team’s amnesty clause on Calderon in order to free up enough cap space to sign Nash, and Stein reports that as long as the Lakers keep Pau Gasol, Calderon would head to Los Angeles to play with his fellow Spaniard:

It is widely assumed in NBA front-office circles that the Raptors will amnesty Calderon and the $10.6 million he’s owed next season to maximize their cap flexibility. That alone won’t get the Spaniard to the point guard-hungry Lakers. Calderon would have to clear waivers through the amnesty process before he’d be free to choose his next team. If Calderon does make it that far, though, sources say he’s excited about the prospect of playing with Gasol in L.A.

If Nash doesn’t go to Toronto and Calderon doesn’t end up in Los Angeles, the Lakers are expected to look at Kirk Hinrich, Jameer Nelson and Chauncey Billups, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. The Lakers point guard last season, Ramon Sessions, is someone the team would like to retain, but he has opted to enter free agency.

The Phoenix Suns have reportedly expressed interest in New York Knicks guard Landry Fields as part of a deal that would send Steve Nash to the Big Apple, according to a tweet from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:

To free up cap space, the Knicks would also likely part with Iman Shumpert, a young and talented defender, along with center Dan Gadzuric’s $1.9 million non-guaranteed contract, according to Mark Berman of the New York Post. Steve Novak and Jared Jeffries are two Knicks free-agents that the Suns could be interested in signing as well, and if that were to happen, the Knicks would be able to offer Nash more than a $3.09 million mid-level exception contract, which is all the team can afford at the moment.

According to the report, a source said the three-year deal the Toronto Raptors offered Nash on Sunday for a reported $36 million is “false,” “untrue” and inflated.

Nash would serve as a mentor to Jeremy Lin, who would see a decrease in playing time next season, but would figure to become an even better point guard over the long-term because of Nash’s arrival.

Phoenix has expressed interest with Landry Fields as part of possible sign-and-trade package with New York for Steve Nash, sources tell Y!—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 01, 2012

Source repeats $36M offer to Steve Nash is "untrue.'' Won't say what offer was. Raptors may want the $36M number out there.—
Marc Berman (@NYPost_Berman) July 01, 2012

Steve Nash has offers from New York and Toronto already. (Rocky Widner, Getty Images)

One of the NBA’s marquee free agents already has two offers on the table, according to various reports and tweets. Phoenix Suns point guard Steven Nash is holding a sign-and-trade offer from the New York Knicks that would give Nash an annual salary of just over $5 million, according to the New York Post‘s Marc Berman.

Nash will be weighing that offer against the chance to finish his career in his home country. SI’s own Sam Amick reports that Nash has been offered a three-year contract by the Raptors that will pay him $12 million annually.

Nash, 38, is coming off a season in which he started all 62 games in which he played and shot a career-best 53 percent from the field.

Steve Nash said that money will be a “very important” factor in where he signs as a free agent this offseason. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Steve Nash won’t be signing a cheap deal as a free agent this offseason.

On ESPN Radio Monday, Nash said he was “open to everything,” but that money would still be a “very important” factor in where he signs what could be his final NBA contract this offseason, the New York Post reports.

Nash’s sentiment would seem to rule out him signing with the New York Knicks, Miami Heat or Chicago Bulls. He would have to take a major paycut at each of those places, even though all have expressed interest in signing the free-agent point guard.

The Post’s Marc Berman reported that Nash was asked the quintessential question of almost every player in every sport that hits the free-agent market: Is money or winning a championship more important to where you sign? Nash, at least, was honest.

“I definitely feel I want to be validated monetarily to an extent,’’ Nash said. “It’s still very important. I think money in many ways represents respect. For example, if you sign with a team and take half or less money, six months later they trade you. It has to be one of the factors. It’s not everything but it is important and will be one of the factors involved.’’

Other teams reportedly interested in Nash are the Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers and Brooklyn Nets. The Phoenix Suns are also looking to keep their star point guard in Arizona. All four of those teams have the salary-cap space to make Nash a decent offer.

On ESPN Radio in New York, Nash was asked specifically about the possibility of playing for the Knicks. He wouldn’t rule out anything, but he suggested the idea of signing purely on the perceived chance of winning a championship wouldn’t be the only factor when he hits the open market on July 1 — or even the most important one.

“It’s nice to have that idea, I want to win a championship,’’ Nash said, according to the Post. “That’s also difficult. You can turn down a ton of money for a team you think can win a championship and there’s an injury and the chemistry isn’t right and you’re traded in six months. I have to put all the things into the hat.’’

Sportsnet 590 The Fan’s Eric Smith (via Sportsnet.ca) said on his radio show Friday in Toronto that he has been told that free-agent point guard Steve Nash has narrowed his list of possible teams for next season to three.

“I heard from national-media types from around the U.S., and at least one prominent agent as well, that believe that Steve Nash has a shortlist,” Smith said. “From what I have heard from these people, and they could be wrong, but these are coming from some pretty legitimate sources, it is a three-team race for Steve Nash in free agency: Portland, Phoenix and Toronto.”

The sourcing is obviously a bit suspect, but the teams certainly make sense. Nash is a Canada native and has a longstanding relationship with the Colangelo family, and Bryan Colangelo is president/general manager of the Raptors. Nash grew up in British Columbia, and Portland is the closest NBA city. And Nash has had his best years in Phoenix and wouldn’t have to uproot his family.

If the Phoenix Suns lose Steve Nash in free agency, they could look to sign Goran Dragic away from Houston. (Christian Peterson/Getty Images)

Two-time MVP Steve Nash, a free agent this summer, has been linked to the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and other NBA teams. If Nash does leave the Phoenix Suns after eight seasons, the team has his replacement in mind, reports The Sporting News‘ Sean Deveney.

Goran Dragic backed up Nash for nearly three seasons. After excelling in a short stretch as a starter for the Houston Rockets this season, Dragic would be at the top of Phoenix’s wish list should Nash leave, a source told Deveney.

Dragic’s career numbers are nothing spectacular: He has averaged 8 points and 3.3 assists per game in his career. But in 28 starts with Houston, those numbers jumped to 18 points and 8.4 assists. Deveney notes the uncertainty of how teams will approach Dragic. Will he be paid for his overall body of work or for his success in the short term?

Although Dragic said he wants to return to Houston, he also said he hopes to be a starter. With the Rockets, who have point guard Kyle Lowry, starting would likely be out of the question.

“Definitely, I want to be a starter in the NBA,” Dragic said. “I think I showed I can do it. I am really happy I got the opportunity to show what I can do and that I belong here. Still, you know, hopefully next year I am going to run the team. I know I can be a first point guard – it is something I can do.”

“…I learned a lot in Phoenix, I had a very good time there,” he said. “I don’t know what is going to happen, but that is an organization I know, obviously, and they helped me a lot.”

Steve Nash said he’s definitely interested in the Knicks if they’re interested in him. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Steve Nash said Wednesday that he’d be interested in playing in New York for the Knicks if they expressed an interest in him this offseason when he becomes a free agent, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPN.com, who spoke with Nash at a promotional event in New York City:

“The Knicks are a great franchise and I live in New York City (each summer), so I’d definitely consider them if they were interested,” the Phoenix Suns’ mainstay said at a promotional appearance in Manhattan.

Nash said that even though he can’t make a decision until after free agency begins on July 1, he will consider every possibility once he’s able:

“I want to wait and see what’s actually on the table,” he said. “I’m open and excited. I’m looking at every possibility right now.”

Zwerling reported that Knicks legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier was also on hand at the event and publicly said, “We need you to come to New York!” to which Nash responded by saying he’s “flattered.”

It’s unlikely the Knicks will have the money to sign Nash, who made $11.6 million in the final year of his contract with the Suns. According to Zwerling, the best offer the Knicks could make the two-time MVP would be a veterans minimum contract, which means a pay cut for Nash, and that scenario is possible only if the Knicks don’t re-sign restricted free agents Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak.

The Phoenix Suns have reportedly promised to draft Syracuse guard Dion Waiters. (Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

When former Syracuse guard Dion Waiters cancelled his workouts and interviews at the NBA Draft Combine, the prevailing wisdom was that a team drafting late in the lottery promised to take him with its pick.

The Journal Times‘ Gery Woelfel reports that the Phoenix Suns, which hold the No. 13 pick in the draft, are the team.

Phoenix finished .500 this season, missing the playoffs by three games. The team’s near future depends on whether two-time MVP Steve Nash returns.

The 38-year-old Nash is a free agent and may leave Phoenix, where he has the last eight seasons, for a contender in his quest to win a championship.

Nash is past his prime but still highly effective. He averaged 12.5 points and 10.7 assists per game this season. With Nash, the team Waiters will reportedly join is poised to compete for a playoff spot. Without Nash, the Suns could be looking at the start of a long rebuilding process.

The Suns’ willingness to do a sign-and-trade for Nash should mean more suitors for the veteran point guard. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.com writes that the Phoenix Suns have an agreement with point guard Steve Nash that if free-agent Nash chooses to leave the Desert for another locale, the team would do a sign-and-trade both to maximize Nash’s salary and to make sure it gets something in return.

Because of this, a suitor’s cap space will not be an issue, and Nash will have his pick of destinations when he hits the market in July.

Kyler also writes that Nash wants a three-year deal, and that more than half the league is willing to go that long. The Suns supposedly are willing to offer Nash $10 million per season.

Steve Nash will be a hot target on the NBA free agent market this summer. (Danny Bollinger/Getty Images)

Over the weekend, Comcast SportsNet Chicago reported that the Chicago Bulls will make an attempt to land free-agent point guard Steve Nash this offseason.

Three teams could join the Bulls, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein reports: the Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers and Brooklyn Nets. Stein also reports that the Phoenix Suns hope they can keep their franchise player in a Suns uniform.

All three teams have the salary space to make Nash a good offer, while the Bulls might ask him to take a pay cut for the chance to win an NBA title.

The Nets would only be interested if they lost out on Deron Williams, who will be the most sought-after unrestricted free agent on the market this year. The Blazers, Stein rations, could be a fit because they have wanted to acquire Nash for years in trades and finally have the cap space to do so. They also offer Nash a chance to be close to his home in Vancouver. Finally, the Raptors would like to bring Nash north of the border.

Meanwhile, Stein reports that you can count out the Miami Heat and New York Knicks as serious players in the Nash sweepstakes, unless Nash is willing to take a major pay cut to play for either.

But while everyone else is guessing, the most important person hasn’t even really started thinking about the process. From Stein’s report:

Nash himself, I’m told, is still days away from giving his future deep thought. He said many times late in the regular season that he’ll listen to any pitch that comes this summer, hoping that the next contract he signs — preferably for three seasons — will be his last. But he admitted last month at a press conference in Toronto that he hadn’t even started the process.

The Chicago Bulls’ top two targets in free agency could be these two point guards — Steve Nash and Jason Kidd. (Danny Bollinger/Getty Images)

Heading into the offseason after a disappointing first-round NBA playoff exit, the Chicago Bulls will reportedly target two future Hall-of-Fame point guards in free agency.

Comcast SportsNet Chicago reports that the Bulls will look to go after free agents Steve Nash and Jason Kidd to replace Derrick Rose at point guard for at least part of next season. From the report:

While the front office may seek out minimum-salary veterans at several positions, including point guard, a source tells CSNChicago.com that the Bulls will take a run at future Hall of Famers Steve Nash and Jason Kidd in free agency.

Rose could be out all of next season following a brutal combination of tears in his left ACL and meniscus cartilage he suffered during the Bulls’ first-round playoff loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Bulls’ team physician said Rose will likely require at least an eight-month recovery following the injury, meaning the earliest he could return would be mid-January or February.

In Rose’s absence after Game 1 of the Bulls’ playoff series, C.J. Watson started at point guard. He averaged 7.3 points and 5.5 assists per game in the series. The Bulls have until July 10 to pick up his 2012-13 option. His option is only for $3.2 million, but the Bulls could use that money to go after Nash or Kidd.

The Bulls’ thinking, according to the CSN Chicago report, is that they could lure Nash or Kidd with the chance to win a championship in Chicago, even at somewhat less of a salary.

Kidd won his first NBA title last year with the Dallas Mavericks, but Nash has yet to win one. Kidd’s Mavericks are also better suited at a championship run next year than Nash is with the Phoenix Suns.

The Phoenix Suns plan to make a run at Deron Williams if Steve Nash leaves in the off-season. (Chris Chambers, Getty Images)

As the Brooklyn Nets await word on whether star point guard Deron Williams will stay with the newly-relocated franchise, the New York Daily News reports that Williams will be tempted to head westward by the Phoenix Suns.

According to the report, Williams would become a primary free agent target for the Suns if Steve Nash elects to leave the desert for the New York Knicks or a return to his native country with the Toronto Raptors. Williams has also long been a target for the Dallas Mavericks, who have long had Williams on their radar as an ideal free agent pickup.

However, the Suns are prepared to roll out the red carpet for Williams, according to the unnamed source quoted in the report.

“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.”

The Suns are coming off a 33-33 season but are stocked with young talent – Nash, Grant Hill and Michael Redd are the only players over the age of 30 on their roster.