PHOENIX (AP) β The Phoenix Suns vaulted from long shot to finalist in the bid to land coveted free agent LaMarcus Aldridge.
But finishing as runner-up to the team the Suns’ fans love to hate, the San Antonio Spurs, left a hollow ring to the team’s concerted efforts to climb from mediocrity to relevance in the tough Western Conference.
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed that the Suns and Spurs were the finalists for the services of the All-Star forward. The person said the presence of Aldridge’s family in Texas “pushed it over the top for San Antonio.”
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details of free-agent negotiations can’t be made public until next Thursday.
