Thursday, July 1, 2004
Deal reportedly five years, over $65M
ESPN.com
DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks free agent guard Steve Nash reached a verbal agreement to sign with the Phoenix Suns, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported Thursday afternoon.
Nash and agent Bill Duffy, according to league sources, received an offer from Phoenix on Thursday -- believed to be a five-year package worth more than $65 million with a partial guarantee for the sixth season -- and brought it back to the Mavericks.
Mavs owner Mark Cuban declined to match the offer.
"It's exciting, but it's also bittersweet," Nash told ESPN.com. "I'm really sad to leave my teammates, but I'm glad to be going somewhere where they really wanted me."
According to sources, after giving the Suns a verbal commitment, Nash immediately phoned longtime teammates Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley to break the news.
Mavericks sources said Cuban was reluctant to give Nash more than a four-year guaranteed contract because of fears the 30-year-old couldn't physically handle playing more than 32 minutes per game.
No deals can be formally signed until July 14, when the salary cap for next season is set. Teams and free agents can only reach verbal agreements during the league's two-week moratorium on signings and trades.
Nash had met with Cuban in Dallas on Wednesday morning and then was greeted by a traveling Suns delegation that included chairman Jerry Colangelo, son and team president Bryan Colangelo, new owner Robert Sarver, coach Mike D'Antoni, former NBA player and Suns minority owner Steve Kerr, former Suns player and current scout Rex Chapman and forward Amare Stoudemire, a client of Duffy's.
Wednesday, Duffy said, "It was a good meeting [with Cuban]. Mark made it very clear that re-signing Steve is a priority."
The Suns originally drafted Nash in 1996 and he never sold his home in the Phoenix area.
Bringing in Nash eliminates the Suns from the Kobe Bryant derby. On Wednesday night, it was reported that Phoenix was prepared to offer Bryant a six-year deal worth over $100 million.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1833028
