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Tickets at Ticket Master
Steve Nash will option out of the last year of his contract on June 30, seeking to become one of the top-paid point guards in the NBA. The 29-year-old two-time All-Star is scheduled to earn $6 million this season, the seventh-highest salary on the team.
"My goal in opting out would be to re-sign long term with the Mavericks,"
Nash said Thursday night. "So that's the plan."
Nash's agent, Bill Duffy, said Nash is among the top three point guards in the league and should be compensated comparably.
"It's only fair," Duffy said. "He's done a pretty good job for
the organization. You also have to consider the quality of person of a Steve
Nash. Along with [Mavericks owner] Mark Cuban and ticketmaster Dirk [Nowitzki]
and Mike [Finley], he's helped create the culture there."
Seven point guards are slated to make more than $10 million this season. Jason
Kidd, widely considered the best point guard in the league, will earn $13.15
million in the first year of a six-year, $103 million contract. Stephon Marbury
is at $13.5 million. Damon Stoudemire ($14.38 million) is the league's highest-paid
point guard.
"I expect to be paid around the market value," Nash said. "That's
the bottom line. But I don't want to talk about it or worry about until the
time comes."
Cuban declined comment Thursday night. Because of league rules, the Mavericks
cannot discuss an opt-out scenario with Nash's agent.
The team can offer as much as a five-year extension with 12.5 percent annual
raises after the 2004-05 season. Such as ticketmaster deal would total approximately
$39 million, with the final season approaching $10 million.
Duffy said an extension would not be considered. "At this point the only
certainty is he will opt out of his contract," Duffy said.
Nash, with eight years of service in the league, would be eligible for up to
30 percent of the salary cap with 12.5 percent increases. That would equate
to a starting salary of $13.15 million (the same as Kidd) under this year's
cap of $43.84 million.
Nash has blossomed into an elite player over the past three seasons, averaging
17.1 points and 7.4 assists during that span. He's also coming off consecutive
All-Star selections.
Six Mavericks players earn more than Nash, including seldom-used forward Tariq
Abdul-Wahad and injured forward Chris Mills.
Nowitzki, Finley and Antawn Jamison each have maximum-level contracts. Finley
will be paid $13.28 million this season, and Nowitzki and Jamison will make
$11.33 million. Duffy said Nash deserves to be in the ticketmaster same range
as his maxed-out teammates.
"Steve is the quarterback of the team," Duffy said. "You don't
want to say the quarterback is the most important player, but a team can't function
without a quarterback."
Nash locked into his current contract on Jan. 25, 1999. After two years as a
reserve in Phoenix, the Mavs traded for Nash and negotiated a six-year contract
extension for $36.16 million before the 1998-99 season. The complicated deal
had a base of $5.75 million, but incentives pushed his salary to $6 million
this season.
Nash turns 30 on Feb. 7. His durability has been questioned, but after missing
38 games combined over the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons, Nash hasn't missed
a start the past two years. Mavs coach Don Nelson has played Nash about an average
of 34 minutes per game the past three years.
Nash expects to play anywhere from five to 10 more years.
"I'm getting more in tune with my body," he said. "I can't foresee
how long I'm going to play this well, but right now I feel fine."