Lakers News: Team Asked Steve Nash Not To Retire

The Lakers have struggled to put a winning team on the floor these last two seasons and fans are extremely frustrating. Part of the reason we are in this predicament is the trades the Lakers made before the 2012-13 season.

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The Lakers went all in, unfortunately, it didn’t work out. Steve Nash was injured in the second game of the season and it was all downhill from there. Injuries are equally responsible for the fall of the Laker empire and now we have to hope to lose in order to land a top five draft pick.

Nash is still technically a member of the Lakers, but not by choice. According to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, the Lakers asked Nash not to officially retire because they could potentially use him as an asset in a trade:

"The Lakers asked Nash not to announce anything, according to team sources. They hoped they could trade Nash’s $9.7 million salary, not only an expiring contract but also a giant coupon for another club to take and immediately save real dollars via insurance, to get a building block for the Lakers’ future."

Nash wanted to retire at the beginning of this season, but he agreed to not go through with it. Some Laker fans are upset at Nash for not being with the team this year, especially since he’s making close to $10 million. However, he did the Lakers a favor by not retiring, but the team could not find a suitor for Nash’s contract.

With the season winding down, the Lakers can’t wait for it to be over. The future of this franchise could look brighter if the ping pong balls fall their way. The Lakers went all in with Nash, it didn’t work out, now it’s time to move on.