This past season, Steve Nash only appeared in 15 games for the Los Angeles Lakers and there were discussions if the team would use the stretch provision.
After failing to sign Carmelo Anthony and re-sign Pau Gasol this summer, Los Angeles will not be using the stretch provision on the former two-time Most Valuable Player according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times:
And, of course, Nash, might be a reserve. The Lakers would have waived him had they signed Anthony and Gasol, but now they’ll eat the final year of his contract in one $9.7-million chunk instead of spreading it out over three years and taking up precious cap space in the summers of 2015 and 2016.
While the Lakers were considering clearly more cap room this summer, they will let the final year of his contract expire instead of spreading it out over three seasons. By not using the stretch provision, the team will have more cap room over the next two summers to pursue superstars like Kevin Love and Kevin Durant.
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While it remains unclear if Nash will be able to play this season, there is hope that he could serve as a mentor for Jeremy Lin and Jordan Clarkson. At his press conference on Thursday, Lin was clearly excited to learn from one of the best point guards in NBA history.
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