We can sense a trend that’s about to start any day now. Much like what happened with the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s when Karl Malone and Gary Payton signed contracts to join a championship contender, the Miami Heat are going to start looking like a very attractive team to a bunch of superstar players who have yet to earn championship rings during their careers. And the first guy acknowledging that he may be leaning in that direction? None other than Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash. Late last week, he said as much when he appeared on The Dan Patrick Show and talked about how he’d listen if LeBron James decided to try and coax him into coming to play in South Beach next season.

“I would listen,” he admitted. “He’s phenomenal. I love what they’re doing there. A lot of people don’t like them because they put all that talent there. But they’re professional, they play hard, they play together. Their coaching staff has done a great job, so I have a tremendous amount of respect for them. I would definitely listen.”

For the time being, Nash has to stay put in Phoenix. The NBA trade deadline has passed and he needs to play out the final year of his contract with the Suns before he moves on and starts playing with someone else. He also needs to consider that the Heat couldn’t pay him as handsomely as a lot of other NBA teams out there. With most of their salary cap being used to pay James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, Nash would have to play for the veteran’s minimum if he wanted to join the Heat. And, would it be worth it?

Well, yes. If the goal here is to win a ‘chip, then Nash should definitely not only listen to James and the Heat’s offer but sign it as soon as it comes across the table in front of him. Regardless of whether they win the title this year or not—for the record, we’d put all of our chips on either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Chicago Bulls—playing in Miami would give Nash the best chance to win a title before he retires. And, that’s really all he wants at this point in his career. At 38, he’s not getting any younger, and he already has a pair of Most Valuable Player awards at home. He needs a ring to validate himself. Even though we know how good he is, the perception is that a ring would put him in another class.

He won’t be the last player to take this approach, either. As other elite players get older, we fully expect them to do the same exact thing. Why go and play for another NBA team when you can join the Heat and at least give yourself a chance to obtain some hardware? It’s just another way the “Big 3″ is winning right now. Like it or not, this is about to become a trend in the NBA. And it all starts with Steve Nash.

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