NBA Rumors: Steve Nash won’t retire because he wants the money
By Bryan Rose
The Los Angeles Lakers signed Steve Nash to a three-year, $27 million dollar deal in a sign-and-trade with the Phoenix Suns back in 2012.
Steve Nash believes the Los Angeles Lakers should honor their contract and that is why he doesn’t plan to retire come the 2014-15 season.
The two-time NBA MVP is a shell of his former self, only playing in ten games this season – struggling to stay on the floor when he did suit up.
Some expected Nash to retire at season end, but the All-Star has no such plans, recently suggesting in a Grantland video that he won’t do it because he wants the money.
The Lakers will owe Nash $9.7 million dollars next season and do have the option to release Nash using the stretch provision which would allow them to spread his contract over three seasons. But as of now the Lakers are not expected to make such a move and will likely keep him on the roster next season, allowing his contract to expire.
As for the idea of medical retirement? A situation in which the Lakers get out of his contract and Nash still gets paid? That can’t happen now that Nash has played ten games, so it sounds like Nash will be back for the 2014-15 and getting his money in the process.