3. Steve Nash
No one could have predicted how dismal Nash’s time in LA has been. He’s already publicly announced this will be his final season, meaning he’s the top form of an expiring contract. His huge, nearly $10 million figure would be a hard task to find a match for, and it’s hard to see the Lakers moving it unless it means bringing in another superstar, but never say never with Mitch Kupchak.
There’s an outside chance Nash plays well this season, but there’s no chance he plays well enough to live up to his price tag. Nonetheless, the NBA is business first, and Nash is an asset of sorts given his status as an expiring deal. If it isn’t a deal for a superstar, Nash could be part of a deal that sees a player with multiple years on his contract come back, like a Jeff Green or George Hill.
In the end, it’s hard to imagine the Lakers moving Nash. After suffering through his contract, it’s likely they’ll want to reap the benefits of large cap space this summer. On top of that, the teams who have room to take on Nash have no reason to unless the Lakers attach a draft pick or another asset to sweeten the deal.