LALReceived
PSteve NashSuperteam gamble · July 11, 2012
The sign-and-trade that sent Steve Nash to Los Angeles
The Lakers acquired two-time MVP Steve Nash from Phoenix. The Suns received first-round picks in 2013 and 2015 plus second-round picks in 2013 and 2014.
See where this happened in the 2012 offseason →The original receipt
Every asset in the deal
Each team panel shows the players and draft assets it received.
To LAL
To PHX20131STround asset20151STround asset+2 assetsPHXReceived
Phoenix Suns
#2013 first-round pick
#2015 first-round pick
#2013 second-round pick
#2014 second-round pick
Why it happened
The bet each side made
Los Angeles wanted an elite organizer beside Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol; Phoenix chose draft value rather than lose its longtime point guard for nothing.
Why history remembers it
The move helped create enormous expectations for the 2012–13 Lakers, but age and injuries prevented the proposed superteam from taking shape.
What changed
The consequences
- Nash played only 65 games across three Lakers seasons.
- The 2012–13 Lakers needed a late surge merely to reach the playoffs.
- Phoenix retained long-term draft value from an outgoing free agent.
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