With Mike D'Antoni out the door to the New York Knicks (I know it doesn't make much sense to me either it's like a rat jumping from sinking ship to one that has already sunk) it's time to face reality if you are the Phoenix Suns. The fact is after the 2009-2010 season this team will be without Steve Nash and Shaquille O'Neal.

The scarier thing? Amare Stoudemire has the right to opt out at that time too.

What will there be to keep him in Phoenix? Barbosa and Diaw (hopefully one or both will be dealt this off season) who are the only two players under contract for 2010-11? That wouldn't be enough to keep Sean Marks around let alone Amare.

If he can get the same amount of money if not more from a team in a major market like say…. Los Angeles where he could play with Kobe or New York where he could be re-united with Mike D'Antoni (Oh wait never mind after some of Amare's quotes) there is no real reason for him to stay.

If you are Steve Kerr you should have a to-do list that looks something like this:

1. Hiring a young energetic up and coming coach (say a Mark Jackson)
2. Find someone willing to give you a lottery pick and an expiring contract (for salary cap purposes) for Steve Nash (To bad Isiah isn't still in charge of the Knicks)
3. Trade Barbosa or Diaw or both for an expiring contract or role player and a first round pick
4. Don't sell draft picks come June find a replacement for Nash and build for the future
5. Find a free agent shooter (possibly Mickael Pietrus, James Jones (yes that James Jones), Corey Maggette or Jannero Pargo to name a few) and big man (Elton Brand) that are long term fixes not just band aides
6. Shape a vision for the future with your head coach and obtain Robert Sarver's blessing
7. Ignore the fans grumbling during year one of rebuilding

While the idea of rebuilding isn't a popular one in this town right now it's something that needs to be seriously considered. The west is obviously the stronger of the two conferences and it doesn't look like that will be changing anytime in the near future. The fact that Golden State finished 48-34, two games out of the playoffs, should be a wake up call.

It is a gamble to keep the current roster and go after one more championship push. It's an even bigger gamble not to rebuild. The safe money is on rebuilding for a stronger future for the Phoenix Suns than on a shaky present. Otherwise you wind up like the Sacramento Kings, good for awhile, no championship to show for it and a bleak future.

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