Dallas Mavericks fans kept hearing that Steve Nash's intentions were to finish what he started.

Turns out he decided to finish where he started.

Nash will return to Phoenix after a Suns power entourage convinced him to accept a five-year, $65 million offer on the first day of NBA free-agent negotiations. The Suns were a 29-win whisper last season with the NBA's youngest team but they made noise on Thursday.

Nash, 30, received a "partial guarantee" on a sixth contract year.

He left Phoenix a well-regarded young backup six summers ago. The Suns traded him to Dallas for Pat Garrity, Bubba Wells, Martin Muursepp and a first-round pick that they used to take Shawn Marion.

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Suns managing owner Robert Sarver, Chairman Jerry Colangelo, President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo, coach Mike D'Antoni, consultant and part owner Steve Kerr, power forward Amaré Stoudemire and scout Rex Chapman (Nash's two-year teammate in Phoenix) went to Dallas on the recruiting trip.

They wanted someone to run their up-tempo offense and bring leadership. In return, they made Nash one of nine NBA point guards who will make more than $10 million next season.

Nash heard first from Dallas' brass in the morning and then met for six hours with the Phoenix contingent. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban made a four-year offer that started at less than $10 million per year. During the Phoenix group's visit, Nash went into another room to tell Cuban of the offer. Cuban declined to match it and Nash emerged, saying, "That's it. I'm in Phoenix."

"It was organized, well thought out and they showed him they could be something very special," said Nash's agent, Bill Duffy, who also represents Stoudemire.

"We came here to do business. The Colangelos don't fool around and Steve reacted in a positive way. They know him and he knows them."

Nash's eagerness for the Valley, where his parents live in his Scottsdale house, was tempered by the emotions of leaving Dallas.

Nash had hoped to finish his career with best friend Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley, both of whom received maximum-level extensions from Cuban.

"I'm shocked that it came to this," Nash told the Dallas Morning News. "I always thought I'd be coming back to Dallas. But Phoenix made it clear they really, really wanted me."

Nash had opted out of the final year of his contract, which would have paid him about $6 million next season.

The heavy minutes Nash has played don't worry the Suns, who don't expect more than 35 minutes per game from him. The team likes 21-year-old point guard Leandro Barbosa and have had him modeling Nash's game this summer.

Bryan Colangelo cited league rules in declining comment. Dallas coach Don Nelson "never dreamed" that the Mavericks would lose Nash and said, "We still have a good team but we won't be as good of a team without Steve Nash."

The Nash news essentially kills the chances of acquiring Kobe Bryant, barring the route of a sign-and-trade that the Lakers said they would not do.

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