Steve Nash injury: Lakers’ Mitch Kupchak unsure about adding point guard

"The Lakers' Steve Nash does a behind the back pass after driving the key on the Wizards' Trevor Ariza, Friday, March 21, 2014, at Staples Center. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker/L.A. Daily News)"

“The Lakers’ Steve Nash does a behind the back pass after driving the key on the Wizards’ Trevor Ariza, Friday, March 21, 2014, at Staples Center. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker/L.A. Daily News)”

LAS VEGAS — Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak no longer has to handle the uncertainty on whether Steve Nash can either stay healthy or recover quickly enough to return to the court. But with the Lakers announcing that they have ruled Nash out for the 2014-15 season because of recurring back problems, how will they address their point guard vacancy?

It doesn’t appear they will settle this right away. Kupchak said he feels “okay” with the Lakers current crop of point guards, including veteran Ronnie Price, Jeremy Lina and rookie Jordan Clarkson. But the Lakers will apply for the disabled player exception, which will allow them to sign a free agent or trade for a player worth half of Nash’s salary ($4.85 million). The Lakers also plan to trim their 17-player roster to 14 by the season opener next Tuesday against Houston at Staples Center. Nash will still take up a roster spot because he is owed a guaranteed $9.8 million before his contract ends after this season. Meanwhile, Price suffered a sore right knee in the Lakers’ preseason game against the Sacramento Kings at MGM Grand Arena.

“Will we look to get another backcourt player?” Kupchak said. “I don’t know.”

Kupchak also sounded unsure on the likelihood that Nash would serve as a de facto assistant coach, a role that Lakers coach Byron Scott and players have endorsed because of his vast experience as a
two-time NBA MVP and third-place standing on the league’s all-time assists list.

“I think he needs to get away,” Kupchak said. “We talked about how welcome he’d be and how he wants to support his teammmates and how he’d like to come back. I’d like to see him out there working out there shooting. But I don’t see him as a shooting coach. He has so many things going on in his life. Maybe one day he would want to coach. Hes a pretty diverse business man. He has a lot of opportunities.”

For now, Kupchak anticipates Nash will not be at the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo within the next two weeks so he can “decompress.”

“I hope to see him come by and say hello to the guys and maybe look at the guys shoot the ball,” Kupchak said. “That would be great. Beyond that, I don’t know.”

Kupchak reported that he discussed with Nash as well as his agent, Bill Duffy, earlier this week about the 40-year-old’s health. Both Nash and the Lakers exuded cautious optimism about his recovery after showing fluidity in the first two weeks of training camp without any setbacks. Nash also posted 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting and five assists in 20 minutes in the Lakers’ preseason opener on Oct. 6 against Denver in San Diego. But Nash asked out of the first quarter of the Lakers’ third preseason game against Golden State. Later that week, the Lakers reported Nash experienced additional back spasms after carrying bags.

Although Kupchak called the conversations “private,” he said Nash wouldn’t have even been able to replicate last season’s scenario where he squeezed in 15 appearances amid extensive rehab sessions between games.

“He can’t continue to play,” Kupchak said. “Whenever he feels like he can, he tries to and then he gets set back three or four weeks. There’s age and life after basketball. The only reason he’s playing this year is he loves to play. There’s a lot racing through his head. The bottom line is he can’t put it together.”

Nash’s time with the Lakers hardly yielded the same excitement he generated when he won two league MVP’s with the Lakers. Nash appeared in only combined 65 games in the previous two seasons. Everything spiraled downward after Nash fractured his left leg in his second game as a Laker, creating nerve damage that eventually hurt his back and hamstrings.

“It could’ve ended a lot worse,” Kupchak said. “He could’ve gotten hurt in a game. There could have been permanent damage. Even now he could recover. He could be fine in three or four months.”

It could have ended a lot better, too. The Lakers acquired Nash in a sign-and-trade with the Phoenix Suns for three-years worth $28 million, a move that created fireworks incidentally on the 4th of July. Nash’s arrival coupled with Bryant, Pau Gasol, Metta World Peace and later Dwight Howard immediately morphed the Lakers into championship contenders. Significant injuries, competing agenda among players and former coach Mike D’Antoni contributed to a first-round sweep to San Antonio. Last season, more injuries and a depleted roster fueled a 27-55 record, cementing the Lakers’ worst season in L.A. franchise history.

Even if the move cost the Lakers two first and second-round draft picks, Kupchak maintains “we would do it again.”

“Clearly when we signed him, we felt there was a two year window where he could contend for a championship and come to Los Angeles too,” Kupchak said. “But it didn’t work out. I know he has felt a lot of pressure to fulfill his obligation contractually. That’s now how it works. But his teammates and people in Los Angeles, the expectations with him were so high. I’m sure hes disappointed about that. But it doesn’t take away from a great career.”


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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com