You guys know my connection to the Boston Celtics and the respect I have for Danny Ainge, but you guys also know how competitive I am and it is a competition," Suns general manager Ryan McDonough said Friday without elaborating much more. "The process is what it is and we played by the rules, I guess. I'm just thrilled Josh Jackson is sitting next to me and is a member of the Phoenix Suns."
The Celtics were interested enough in Jackson that they were scheduled to see him work out earlier this week in Sacramento. While Ainge, the GM, coach Brad Stevens and assistant GM Mike Zarren were in the air, Jackson had a change of heart and cancelled the workout.
It did not go over well with Ainge, who said he had to get up at 4 a.m. to catch the flight, but added it had nothing to do with drafting Tatum over Jackson on Thursday night.
"There was something that he didn't want to play for the Celtics," he said. "In spite of that, we watched Josh for two years and we're fans. He's a terrific kid and good player. So we tried not to overreact to those kinds of things and make a big deal of it. Agents and players have all sorts of motivations to get to certain places."