Lakers To Acquire Steve Nash
After all the posturing, wining and dining from the Raptors and Knicks, and interest from Dallas, the Lakers have acquired Steve Nash from Phoenix for four future draft picks. The Suns will get first round picks in 2013 and 2015 and second round picks in 2014 and 2016. Nash gets three years and $25 million, Marc Stein reports.
Toronto was extremely sure they’d be able to sign Nash for three years and $36 million and the Knicks were willing to trade Iman Shumpert in its own sign and trade. But Nash wanted to stay closer to his children. Los Angeles struggled at the point guard position all last season, even when they acquired Ramon Sessions in March.
Nash and Kobe Bryant form the league’s best backcourt and cripples Toronto’s free agency plans. The Raptors signed Knicks restricted free agent Landry Fields to a three year deal worth $20 million to prevent New York from a sign-and-trade with Nash. Nash will be a Laker. Simply stunning,
Miami Marlins Acquire Carlos Lee
Carlos Lee rejected trades over the last year with his 10 and 5 rights but accepted a trade to the Miami Marlins on this Independence Day.
With the Marlins woefully struggling offensively at first base, their collective .565 OPS is the worst in baseball by a large margin, they needed an upgrade and found it in Lee, who’s batting .287 and has one of the lowest strikeout rates in baseball.
Houston wanted to get out of Lee’s contract, he’s making $19 million this year in the final year of his deal, and they got back once-promising 3B Matt Dominguez and advanced-A lefty starter Rob Rasmussen for Lee, according to Buster Olney.
Miami is currently six games behind the Reds and the NL West wild card team (the Giants and Dodgers are tied for first) and Lee could be the offensive boost the Marlins need to climb further back into the playoff picture. Houston could celebrate knowing they finally got rid of their worst contract.
NBA Free Agency Rumors 7/4/12
9:50 a.m. Eastern
-With Deron Williams re-signing with the Nets, what does that mean for the Dallas Mavericks? They’ll go after Steve Nash, but not offer him as much as Toronto. They’ll try to re-sign Jason Kidd as well and are cautious about going hard after Goran Dragic, who has interest from Houston and Phoenix (though a source of mine says the Suns’ interest is overplayed). *Dallas may just save its cap space for the Dwight Howard-Chris Paul summer of 2013.
-Phoenix gave a four-year, $58 million max offer to guard Eric Gordon but the Hornets are expected to match it. *A source told SprungOnSports that the Suns are expected to re-sign Grant Hill despite interest from teams like the Lakers, Heat and Knicks. Phoenix also has interest in Jeremy Evans.
-If the Nets can’t trade for Dwight Howard, they’ll try to re-sign Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries and go after Ersan Ilyasova, Adrian Wojnarowski says. Brooklyn would have gone after Dragic had they lost out on Williams.
-The Lakers are interested in Steve Nash, but Sam Amick says it’s hard to imagine the Suns being so quick to facilitate a sign-and-trade. *Marc Berman says the Nash sign-and-trade with the Knicks is not dead despite the poison pill offer to Landry Fields. An offer would certainly have to include Iman Shumpert along with Dan Gadzuric, Toney Douglas and Josh Harrelson. If the Knicks do lose out Kidd, Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni will be targets.
-Houston will likely sign Jeremy Lin to a lucrative offer sheet but the Knicks will match any offer, likely in the back-loaded $30 million range, Marc Berman reports.
-The Clippers offered Jamal Crawford a contract, but he’s still considering Minnesota, Philadelphia, Memphis and Phoenix.
-With Courtney Lee now an unrestricted free agent, he’s drawn interest from the Bulls, Pacers, Clippers, Mavericks, Suns, Clippers, Grizzlies and Hawks.
-The Lakers, Warriors and Bobcats are interested in Antawn Jamison.
-Luke Harangody signed his $1.1 million qualifying offer to stay with Cleveland.
-Rudy Fernandez signed a three-year deal with Real Madrid in the Euroleague, Marc Stein reports.
