Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Nash admitted that his team requested to delay his retirement in the hope of striking a trade before the deadline last month.
Nash announced his retirement from the league after suffering several injuries over the past two seasons since moving from the Phoenix Suns to the Lakers in 2012. He made the public aware of his decision to call it quits through a letter posted in The Players Tribune website.
The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player admitted that he could have announced his retirement earlier in the season, but admitted to ESPN that the Lakers asked him to delay his retirement for a possible trade.
"I could have medically retired," Nash said. "But they asked if I'd consider just being out for the year. Really it was about giving them an opportunity to move my salary and improve their team."
Nash, who was acquired by the Lakers in a trade with the Suns in 2012 for four draft picks, said that he gave into the request because he wanted to give his team an opportunity to make moves that could improve their chances moving forward.
"For them to trade me to improve their team was something I was completely on board with"Ž," Nash continued. "The organization's been unbelievable to me. How Mitch has treated me and the Buss family has been incredible. It was the least I could do."
The eight-time NBA All-Star signed a three-year deal worth $28 million with the team in 2012, but never had an opportunity to help the Lakers reach their goal of at least contending for the title.
In his first season in a purple and gold uniform, Nash was limited to 50 games after suffering a leg injury just in his second game with his new team. Last season, Nash appeared in just 15 games after being slowed down by an ailing back along with knee and hamstring issues.
Nash participated in training camp for this season, but was ruled out for the rest of the year before the 2014-15 NBA season started after suffering setback in his recovery from back injury.
"When I signed with the Lakers, I had big dreams of lifting the fans up and lighting this city on fire," Nash said. "I turned down more lucrative offers to come to L.A. because I wanted to be in the 'fire,' and play for high risk and high reward in my last NBA chapter. In my second game here, I broke my leg and nothing was the same."
