With Deron Williams off the open market and staying with the Brooklyn Nets, Steve Nash is now the top point guard target for many teams. Enter the Los Angeles Lakers, reports NBA.com's David Aldridge. While the team can offer only a $3.09 million exception, the likely course of action the Lakers are pursuing is a sign-and-trade with the Phoenix Suns.
Aldridge speculates that the Lakers could offer point guard Ramon Sessions and forwards Jordan Hill and Matt Barnes in any proposed deal. Metta World Peace, however, is not a piece the Suns would take back. There are some NBA insiders, though, that believe the Suns wouldn't want to make a trade with a team in the Pacific Division.
Nash, 38, reportedly has a three-year, $36 million offer on the table from the Toronto Raptors. Still, Aldridge reports that Nash is giving the Knicks more time to work out its own sign-and-trade deal with the Suns. The Dallas Mavericks are also apparently increasing their pursuit of Nash -- who played six seasons there before leaving in 2004 -- now that Williams has decided to stay with the Nets.
For more on these teams, check out Lakers blog Silver Screen and Roll and Suns blog Bright Side of the Sun.