The Phoenix Suns may look at a Markieff Morris trade this year, as the forward is upset with the team for trading his twin brother and teams like the Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors could be potential landing spots for Morris if he is traded.
Morris reportedly is upset with the Suns for trading his twin brother to the Detroit Pistons and now he wants out. Morris and his brother negotiated new contracts last year and they did it together, as they were hoping to play on the same team for the next stretch of their careers. Morris has made some public comments about the situation, saying to the Philadelphia Inquirer that he will show up to training camp, but that he should be "out before then."
UPDATE: Markieff Morris tweeted on Thursday night his "future will not be in Phoenix" and a trade could potentially happen before camp.
John Gambadoro of 98.7 Arizona Sports writes that the Morris situation could be "ugly" for the Suns if it extends to training camp, as Morris is not planning to show up until he "absolutely has to." Morris reportedly has not been talking to Suns players or coaches and Gambadoro writes that Morris could "make a circus" of media day for the Suns in camp. Gambadoro added that sources said Morris will "never be happy" in Phoenix and that he wants a trade.
Gambadoro reports that Morris would "like" a trade to the Houston Rockets or Toronto Raptors, as he has relationships with Kyrie Irving and James Harden. Kevin Pelton at ESPN.com writes that the Boston Celtics could be a potential fit for Morris, as he is on a cheap contract and the team has players they can move. The Miami Heat could be an option, but only if they end up trading Mario Chalmers and/or Chris Andersen, which they have been trying to get done all summer.
Morris signed for four years and $32 million after inking his deal last year and that is pretty affordable for a player coming off of a season like he had. Morris set career highs across the board last season, averaging 15.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 82 games played for Phoenix. The contract could make getting a deal done easier, but ESPN reports that currently the Suns are not looking to trade Morris.
Pro Basketball Talk reports that while Morris demanding a deal does not mean much, both the Rockets and the Raptors are in good positions to make deals if they are in fact interested. PBT writes that the teams make sense "on a number of levels," as they both have players that are tradable and they also each "could both use another talented power forward." The Raptors have Patrick Peterson and while he is a solid player, the team could end up getting more value out of Morris over the next four years due to his contract.
The Rockets have Terrence Jones and he also another solid player, but Morris has shown that he is more consistent than Jones. The Rockets could look at making a swap as they try and make a deep run in the playoffs with more support behind Dwight Howard and James Harden.
Check here for more on the Phoenix Suns and a potential deal with Morris.
