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Knicks, Heat, Suns, and Raptors fans spent the past few weeks anticipating what their team would be like if Steve Nash was acquired. It was almost a given that the veteran point guard would land his next contract in one of those cities, so nobody expected what would happen next. The Los Angeles Lakers, after staying quiet during trade rumors, caught everyone by surprise and stole the former MVP in a sign-and-trade for just a couple of draft picks.

The usually dominant Lakers offense ended up just 15th in points per game last season and fans were beginning to lose patience. Kobe Bryant, although still one of the most dominant scorers in the NBA, could no longer carry the Lakers to consistent 100 point games like he did so easily over the past decade. Now he has one of the best point guards to ever play helping him carry the load.

There’s no telling what Nash and Kobe can do together. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Nash will fit in with the Lakers perfectly. The triangle offense ran by Phil Jackson allowed Los Angeles to forget about their lack of a point guard, but with Mike Brown running the show this could no longer continue. Nash's career best 53 percent shooting last season will make him a deadly weapon for spot up shots, but his ability to run the pick-and-roll will have the biggest impact.

With Andrew Bynum slowly starting to grow up, working with Nash will only help the young All-Star mature. Remember how dominant the Suns were when Nash and Stoudemire ran the offense? Put that in Los Angeles with Pau Gasol and one of the top scorers in NBA history, and the Lakers are once again a true force in the West. His leadership and nearly 11 assists per game last season will help all of Los Angeles' forces work together and prove they can contend for a title.

And as if the Lakers didn’t luck out enough, there are now rumors that Nash’s former teammate Grant Hill will look to join him in Los Angeles. The 17-year veteran will add depth to the lineup and provide efficient scoring off the bench.

Although the Lakers had a happy Fourth of July, Knicks fans remained in their misery. Phil Jackson explained it perfectly; the Knicks are a "clumsy" team with a bunch of dysfunctional pieces. Why would the future Hall of Famer want to end his career trying to bring a bunch of so-called superstars together? Carmelo Anthony would give a lackluster effort unless the offense focused on him and the Knicks would turn into a Nash-Stoudemire attack, just less dominant and without the mastermind Mike D'Antoni running it.

Phil Jackson explained it perfectly; the Knicks are a "clumsy" team with a bunch of dysfunctional pieces. Why would Nash want to end his career trying to bring a bunch of so-called superstars together?

Now New York is in a tight situation. They still lack a point guard, and although it probably never would have happened, lost out on their answer. Veteran Jason Kidd is also no longer available after he quickly re-signed with Dallas following Deron Williams' decision to stay in Brooklyn. The Knicks can still go after Jeremy Lin, but they would have to match Houston's $30 million offer, putting them in a very tight financial situation. With their top choices slowly drifting away, New York will most likely chase Raymond Felton. They will probably attempt to use a sign-and-trade, allowing them to save their $3 million mid-level exemption for another free agent.

The Knicks weren't the only team to completely lose out. Toronto was the first team to give Nash an offer, $36 million over three years, but the veteran ignored it. He accepted nearly $10 million less in Los Angeles, obviously a team with better chances of winning a title. Nash would be the clear leader on the Raptors, but now Toronto will have to join New York in the chase for Felton and Lin.