"Everyone felt something when the Mavericks won the championship.

LeBron haters crowed with glee. Cleveland nearly staged a parade. Germany swelled in pride, makers of great automobiles and the best foreign-born player in NBA history.

And when Dirk Nowitzki walked back down to the tunnel to savor his first few moments as a champion, a twinge of sadness struck Steve Kerr.

He began thinking about Steve Nash.

"Steve's celebration would've been exactly like Dirk's," said Kerr, the former Suns general manager. "He would've gone to the locker room for some time alone. It would've been all about the moment and not anything to do with the media. There wouldn't have been any antics. It would've been the coolest thing ever."

Yes, it would be the coolest thing ever. Nash's quest for a championship is the best fairy tale left in basketball. That's partly why the Suns need to swallow hard, sign Nash to a two-year extension, align his final contract with a new deal for Grant Hill and ride this thing to the very end.

If Nash wants to stay, they owe him that much.

"You have to keep him," Kerr said. "To me, Steve Nash is the Suns organization. He's what you want the organization to be about. He's the perfect example of what you want your young players to become. So to me, it's a no-brainer. You keep Steve, he retires as a Sun, and you put him in the Ring of Honor."

Those who wish to trade Nash present a logical argument. He's 37, an aging point guard in a young man's league. Without more talent around him, his services are being wasted in Phoenix. Peddling him to the right suitor could bring much in return, helping the Suns transition into a new era of basketball."