Phoenix point guard Steve Nash admitted to ESPN on Saturday that this season has been his toughest in the NBA.

"It's been the toughest year of my career. By far," Nash said.

The Suns have dealt with identity issues, and have been surrounded by trade rumors all season long. In addition to the whispers, long-time Suns Boris Diaw and Raja Bell were sent to Charlotte in a deal.

"I went through some things early in my career in Dallas that were tough personally, but no one was really expecting us to do anything back then," Nash added. "The expectations weren't great like they are here in Phoenix, so this has been a lot tougher. ... We've just been talking and talking and talking, and we can't seem to find the answers for how to make it work."