Suns Reportedly Thought D'Angelo Russell Wouldn't Be Good Influence on Devin Booker

D'Angelo Russell was on a lot of teams' radars this offseason before his sign-and-trade to the Golden State Warriors, but apparently not that of the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns reportedly chose to stay away from Russell over concerns that he wouldn't be a good influence on young star Devin Booker.

Instead of pursuing Russell, the Suns sought help in Terry Rozier before ultimately landing Ricky Rubio on a three-year, $51 million deal on the first day of free agency.

Russell ultimately landed with the Warriors on a four-year max deal worth $117 million via a sign-and-trade.

Russell doesn't exactly have a reputation for being a model teammate. He famously recorded Nick Young without his knowledge talking about cheating on Iggy Azelea.

It's understandable that the Suns would prefer not to have him and his actions rubbing off on 22-year-old Booker.

Russell's talent, however, cannot be denied. A first-time All-Star last year, Russell averaged 21.1 points and 7.0 assists per game for the Nets. He shot 43.4% from the field, a career-high mark.

The Suns will instead have the 28-year-old Rubio to help guide Booker's development. He may not be as flashy as Russell, but in the eyes of the Suns, he's a much safer bet.