Boris Diaw was on an African safari so remote, rustic and pristine last week that his cellphone could only muster a signal for about three hours of the five-day trip.
When a signal finally steadied, Diaw had a friend's text message waiting that read: "Congratulations on the trade."
The combination of surprise and not knowing which team acquired him was tough to handle. Now that he knows Atlanta agreed to send him in a package to Phoenix for Joe Johnson, Diaw has to wait to see whether the trade will materialize amid Atlanta's ownership squabble.
"At first, I was very surprised and then I thought about it and I was happy," Diaw said Tuesday from his native France. "The Suns are a really great team, of course. It'd be a big change from Atlanta, going East to West."
Diaw, 23, with a mix of starts and struggles in two Hawks seasons, said his confidence soared when he heard Phoenix had been chasing a deal to acquire him for at least a year. He considers himself a point forward and welcomes thoughts of the Suns using him as a 6-foot-8 backup point guard.
"What I try to do is make my teammates better by making passes and playing defense," Diaw said. "I think I could help make the team better. The first thing I'm going to do is play good defense. But I'll rebound, score and try to do a little bit of everything.
"The problem is, when you're versatile, you've got to work on all of your game."
Diaw said his unimpressive shooting (42 percent from the field and 18 percent on three-pointers last season) came in part because of shots taken with the shot clock winding down. He said questions about his desire and love of the game are unwarranted.
"It's really my passion," said Diaw, whose mother is considered the best center in French women's basketball history. "I can't think about living without basketball. I don't want to do anything else."