The Los Angeles Lakers announced Friday veteran Steve Nash would miss the upcoming season because of a recurring back injury. After three injury-plagued seasons now, Nash appears headed for retirement.
Nash's back will cost him the 2014-15 season, according to a Lakers press release. It's uncertain if the back injury was related to any nerve issues, but ESPN did report the 40-year-old strained his back while carrying travel bags earlier in the week.
"Being on the court this season has been my top priority and it is disappointing to not be able to do that right now," Nash said in the release. "I work very hard to stay healthy and unfortunately my recent setback makes performing at full capacity difficult. I will continue to support my team during this period of rest, and will focus on my long-term health."
The release said Nash would be spending time resting and focusing on rehabilitation, which likely spells the end of his storied career. Nash's contract expires after the season, and it's unlikely any team will re-sign him in the offseason given his history of recent injuries.
"As disappointed as we are for ourselves and our fans, we're even more disappointed for Steve," said Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak. "We know how hard he's worked the last two years to try to get his body right for the rigors of the NBA, and how badly he wants to play, but unfortunately he simply hasn't been able to get there up to this point in time. Steve has been a consummate professional, and we greatly appreciate his efforts."
Nash has every incentive to hold off on retiring until after his contract expires and hasn't mentioned retirement.
It's uncertain, though, if the Lakers will file to have Nash's salary excluded from the cap space because of the injury. The Collective Bargaining Agreement does have a medical exemption. If the Lakers file for the exemption, an impartial physician would need to determine whether Nash's back injury would prevent him from ever playing again. If yes, Nash would still get paid but his salary - $9.7 million - would be removed immediately from the books.
For more about the medical exemption, read Larry Coon's CBAFAQ.