USA - Nash drained after trade of best friend Bell

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The acquisition of Jason Richardson crammed a lot of excitement into a small visitors locker room that the Suns inhabited for their Staples Center visit Wednesday night.

But excuse Steve Nash if he can't share the glee. It cost him his best friend, Raja Bell.

Just like Nash was separated from Dirk Nowitzki by Dallas owner Mark Cuban's unwillingness to match a Suns offer in 2004, Nash has been split from his basketball buddy again by a basketball decision.

The Suns traded Bell, Boris Diaw and Sean Singletary on Wednesday to Charlotte for Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley and a second-round draft pick.

Before Nash said a word about how he felt about the trade, his flat play with a dead expression said it all during the Suns' shorthanded 115-110 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.

"It's tough," Nash said after a big exhale. "While I'll welcome my new teammates with open arms, it's tough when you lose your best friend. It's tough when you lose two of your best buddies. It's tough and it hurts. It's tough."

Nash was boarding the team bus at the hotel Wednesday afternoon when he received a friend's text message, reading, "It's a tough business." He called Bell, who was already at the airport because he didn't want to wake Nash from his usual game-day afternoon nap. Nash seemed as if he was blindsided by the news.

"A little bit, yeah," said Nash, searching for words he couldn't find. "Um, a little bit, yeah."

Nash said it has become the nature of the NBA business for teams to change very quickly. It's still hard for him to look at what fruits may come of the basketball side of the decision.

"I know we've got two good players, that's for sure," Nash said. "It is tough when you're thinking about that emotionally.

"I was pretty flat emotionally (in Wednesday's game). I had a tough one . . . I struggled. I was emotionally drained and just couldn't give the guys what they needed tonight to get the win but I'm proud of these guys. They played hard tonight. They played well."

Nash went 2 of 12 from the field Wednesday, going 0 for 6 in the first half, and finishing with seven points. His nine assists did tie him with the legendary Bob Cousy for 13th on the NBA's career assists list but he could have cared less, if he had even noticed.

"I hope it's not a situation where they are just trying to blow it up," Nash said. "I think we still have got a chance to be a really good team. There's time to incorporate the new guys.

"(Richardson) is a great scorer. I think he'll fit in offensively obviously. Our transition game, he'll fit right in. There's a lot of positives Jason will find coming to our team."

Nash dismissed that Bell had been any sort of drain because of his obvious disenchantment for the changes that coach Terry Porter made.

"He is my best buddy and he's my best friend and the guys loved him," Nash said.

Nowitzki was his best friend too. There was some preparation for that moment, though, because Nash knew he was going to be a free agent, although he never believed he would leave Dallas.

"It's hard," Nash said. "I have a hard time committing to this as a business. I take this personally and I take my career home with me. I care about my teammates. When you lose two of your best friends on the team suddenly, it's hard."

"It (recreating chemistry takes time, that's for sure. We're not only recreating chemistry. We're changing our style a little bit. That's been difficult. There's been a few moving parts."

Nash was already among the players talking about how there hasn't been enough fun with the team this season. Between losing Mike D'Antoni as coach and Bell leaving, could this affect his long-term future in Phoenix. Nash's contract expires after the 2009-10 season.

"I knew you were going to go there," Nash said. "I don't know. Like I said before about the 2010 speculation, it's so far away. I just want to try to win as many games as I can and then I'll worry about it after."