The Phoenix Suns may trade Markieff Morris this summer if the forward demands a deal after and if a move happens, teams like the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, LA Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers could be potential landing spots after his brother Marcus Morris was traded.
Morris reportedly is upset with the Suns for making the deal to the Pistons for his brother, as Morris felt that the two took pay cuts to stay together in Phoenix when they signed. According to John Gambadoro of the Burns and Gambo Show in Arizona, Morris "wants out" of Phoenix and that he will not "talk to players or staff" for the Suns.
Morris was later quoted by Philly.com talking about his future and he sounded confident that he would not be with the Suns moving forward. Morris reportedly said "I am not going to be" in Phoenix and while he added he's "got to show up for training camp" but that "it won't get that far." Whether Morris' quotes means a deal is in the works already or not, clearly he is not happy with how things have played out.
Morris has a decent contract at $24 million left over the next three years, but he has been fairly productive and could find a new landing spot somewhere else. The Suns won't just give away Morris and that could make a deal tougher to get done, but Morris did average 15 points and six rebounds last season while playing in all 82 games. Morris has been able to stay healthy over the last three years while playing in at least 81 games in those seasons and he set career highs in assists, points and rebounds this season.
Morris is looking to get dealt and John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reports that the situation could get "real ugly" for the Suns. Some spots already could be fits for Morris, as Gambadoro writes that the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors could be options. The Raptors have a strong point guard in Kyle Lowry that Morris could play with, while the Rockets have James Harden and the allure of playing alongside Harden and Dwight Howard.
Kevin Pelton at ESPN has looked at the Morris situation and he writes that the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors are both potential landing spots for Morris. Both teams have depth at forward, but they could look at making a trade with some of that depth moving back to Phoenix. The Suns realize Morris wants out and instead of keeping a malcontent, they could get a cheaper player or someone the teams are willing to ditch. The Celtics likely will have to make a deal after adding Perry Jones to the mix, as their roster is crowded, while the Raptors could use more depth at power forward.
The Celtics have Jared Sullinger as a potential trade option and he could be moved after the team landed David Lee. Morris is originally from Philadelphia and the 76ers could be another landing spot for Morris if the Suns go through with a deal. The Suns could consider making a move with Morris, as the team is covered at both forward positions with P.J. Tucker, T.J. Warren, Sonny Weems and Mirza Teletovic for the time being.
Check here for more on the Suns and the potential trade options for Morris.
