The NBA is officially saying goodbye to Steve Nash who announced his retirement over the weekend. The point guard who has sat out for the majority of the last two seasons has decided the injuries are simply too much to overcome after 19 years in the league. As Los Angeles prepares to usher in a new era of the franchise, who will take over for Nash in the coming years?
Nash announced via the Players' Tribune website that he was walking away from the NBA. Nash did not play this season with the Lakers after suffering injuries in training camp and as his contract expires the point guard is not seeking a new deal. Nash signed a three-year, $28 million contract back in 2012 which was a big risk given their salary cap state. Nash ended up breaking his leg and missing 24 games during the 2012-13 season. He played just 15 games last year and missed all of this season with injuries as well. He admits that the last chapter of his career was not ideal.
"When I signed with the Lakers, I had big dreams of lifting the fans up and lighting this city on fire," Nash wrote. "I turned down more lucrative offers to come to L.A. because I wanted to be in the 'fire,' and play for high risk and high reward in my last NBA chapter. In my second game here, I broke my leg and nothing was the same. Last spring, when I returned to the court, I was given a standing ovation at Staples Center. It was a dark time in my career and that gesture will be one of my best memories."
So now the question becomes what the Lakers do to officially move on. They traded for Jeremy Lin before the 2014 season in hopes that he could run in tandem with Nash, but after getting forced into the starting role, the point guard struggled to make a positive impact. Lin's contract expires at the end of the season and he is not expected to be re-signed leaving the Lakers with Jordan Clarkson. According to head coach Byron Scott, Nash and Kobe Bryant have been mentoring the rookie and his future looks bright for the franchise, but could someone else by the in the mix?
According to ESPNLosAngeles.com, Bryant has been recruiting Rajon Rondo to join the Lakers, something the current Dallas Mavericks point guard confirmed. Rondo will be a free agent this summer and could easily head over the Lakers for a max contract they have the money to give. Goran Dragic, Reggie Jackson, Brandon Knight and a trade for Brandon Jennings could also be options if the Lakers were to miss out on Rondo.
