The Phoenix Suns may trade Markieff Morris this summer after the forward has made it clear he doesn't want to be with the team anymore after his brother was traded and the LA Lakers, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors could be potential options for a deal if Morris is traded.
Morris has been upset since his brother Marcus Morris was traded to the Detroit Pistons this offseason and now he may want to leave Phoenix. According to John Gambadoro of the Burns and Gambo radio show in Arizona, Morris "wants out" of Phoenix and he has not been talking to any Suns players or staff members since the trade happened. Gambadoro writes that the situation could "get ugly" for the Suns if it lasts into training camp and there is a chance a deal will happen before that.
Morris and his brother signed contract extensions last year and the two negotiated together and Morris may be upset that the team traded his twin after all of that. Morris may have taken a slight discount to help get that done and now he wants out of Phoenix. Gambadoro reports that Morris would prefer a trade to the Houston Rockets or Toronto Raptors, as he has relationships with players James Harden and Kyle Lowry. Kevin Pelton at ESPN reports that the Boston Celtics and LA Lakers also could be potential landing spots for Morris.
Morris is signed for four years and $32 million and that is not too expensive for a young player with his talent and athleticism. While a demand may not lead the Suns to trade Morris or trade him to a team he wants, the Raptors and Rockets would be good fits for the forward. Pro Basketball Talk writes that those teams are solid options and they "make sense on" multiple "levels", as they both have "assets" to make a deal and they both could "use another talented power forward."
Morris is just 25 years old and while the Raptors have Patrick Patterson, he has not been as consistent as Morris, while the Rockets could look at making a move with Terrence Jones. Jones has been a solid player as well, but Morris has more team control and put up better numbers last season. A deal could come down to what either team is willing to give and if those teams are not interested in a trade, the Suns could look elsewhere.
Morris has steadily improved his numbers in each of his first four seasons and last year he put up career best numbers across the board. Last season Morris averaged 15.3 points per game with 6.2 rebounds and over two assists per game and he also averaged 1.2 steals per contest, also a career best. Morris has shown potential and while he is dealing with a legal issue off the court, he could be a nice addition for a team with a need at forward. Morris is young and his contract will make him a solid option with the way salaries have been going over the past year.
Check here for more on the Suns and the potential for a Markieff Morris trade