The Warriors reportedly will acquire Nets guard D'Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade deal when the NBA moratorium ends on Saturday.
Russell's time in Brooklyn came to an end when Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant agreed to sign with the Nets.
The Suns entered the free-agent market in need of a point guard, and were linked to Russell. But Phoenix ended up going in a different direction, reportedly agreeing to terms with Ricky Rubio.
Why didn't they go after Russell?
Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic has the details:
The Suns chose not to pursue Russell despite Devin Booker's campaign for them to target his close friend, according to league sources familiar with the situation.
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The Suns apparently felt Russell wouldn't have been a good influence on Booker off the court.
Russell had some maturity issues during his first two NBA seasons with the Lakers, and we all remember the fiasco with Nick Young.
But this report is more of an indictment on Booker than anything.
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The Warriors must feel like the 23-year-old will blend in seamlessly and cause no problems in the locker room.
Golden State's culture is rock solid and Russell has the opportunity to thrive and take his game to another level.
