Steve Nash avoids stretch provision as deadline passes

Unless traded, point guard Steve Nash will finish out the remainder of his contract as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers as the deadline for all times to release players using the stretch provision clause has passed.

By using the stretch provision, NBA teams are allowed to waive a player, regardless if his contract is guaranteed or non-guaranteed, stretching their salary over the course of three years.

This was an option often floated around for the Lakers to use last season on Steve Nash as the point guard struggled to stay healthy. At the end of the 2013-14 season, Nash compiled 65 games lost, averaging 6.8 points and 5.7 assists in the 15 games (10 starts) he appeared in.

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By stretching Nash’s salary, the Lakers would’ve added more cap space as each dollar mattered in their pursuit of the next superstar to dawn a LA jersey, but as we saw, that player was never found as Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki, and Chris Bosh all re-signed with their respective franchises while LeBron James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers on a two-year max deal.

Now Nash is in the final year of his deal and it’d make little financial sense for the Lakers to spread his salary via the stretch provision through the next three years when his $9.7 million will be off the books this summer.

Retirement is likely Nash’s next move. Despite being one of the best point guards in NBA history, health failed him in the final years of his career. It’d be an excellent sight to see Nash pull it together for one last season, but father time has taken his toll on the 2-time MVP.