Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak Says ‘No Regrets’ About Signing Steve Nash

The Los Angeles Lakers inexplicably gave a three-year deal to Steve Nash in the summer of 2012, which also cost them two first and a second-round draft pick. Things haven’t exactly worked out for Nash in Hollywood, but Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak insists that the organization has no regrets about how things turned out (he’s lying.) Kupchak is also sticking to the company line that the Lakers wouldn’t dream of tanking (they are.) Per the LA Daily News and LA Times:

“No regrets,” Kupchak said. “We had a chance. You have to recognize where you are as a franchise. We felt we had a two year window, maybe three to go for a championship. That’s what we did. Looking back on it, which nobody can do, that’s a different story. But at the time, we knew exactly what we were doing.”

Nash missed a combined 32 games last season because of a fractured left leg and the subsequent nerve irritation that damaged his back and hamstring. Nash sat out of the Lakers’ 107-103 loss Thursday to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center after feeling nerve irritation in his back and hamstrings after colliding earlier this week with Chicago guard Kirk Hinrich. Nash has still vowed he will play this season and hopes to return after the All-Star break.

“I feel terrible for him. I really do,” Kupchak said. “Some players sulk and kind of get depressed and say I’m 38 years old, whatever it is, and say it wasn’t meant to be. But this guy has worked harder than anybody to get back. I just feel terrible for him. I really do. For someone who has had that career and worked that hard and came here to win a championship, something that has eluded him for years. But those things are out of his control and they’re out of our control.”

“Winning is never a bad thing,” Kupchak said. “If you try to manipulate the draft, I’m not a karma guy, but if you try to manipulate this thing, it never works out the way you think it’s going to work out.

“You’re better off doing what you know is the right thing to do and whatever happens happened for the right reason. And that’s our approach.”

Despite the lack of success, Kupchak gave another vote of confidence to Lakers Coach Mike D’Antoni.

“Under very trying circumstances, I think he’s done a great job,” Kupchak said. “Our players continue to play as hard as possible and compete in every game. After games, if we do lose, their heads go down and they’re upset. There’s no music playing, there’s no guys walking out of the locker room with a hop in their step. It bothers them to lose.”