The Phoenix Suns may look at making a Markieff Morris trade this year if the forward continues to be unhappy with his current situation and if a deal happens, teams like the Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, Cavaliers or Philadelphia 76ers could be potential landing spots. Morris has been upset after his twin brother Marcus Morris was traded this summer.
There have been reports that Morris has been unhappy since his brother was traded and recently Morris was fined by the NBA for demanding a trade in public. According to ESPN.com, Morris was fined $10,000 for making statements about a potential trade and that came after he said his "future" would not be in Phoenix. The Arizona Republic reported earlier in August that the Suns had "no plans" to grant Morris a trade.
Morris reportedly is upset at the Suns after trading his brother because he felt that the two took less money from Phoenix to stay together on the team. AZCentral.com writes that Morris was likely moved to help the team try and woo LaMarcus Aldridge and while that did not work out, the Suns were considered one of the finalists for Aldridge in free agency. One thing that makes the situation tough for Morris is that he is a talented player with a valuable and affordable contract, meaning he is not someone the Suns will just give away for nothing.
On top of that, the Suns kind of need Morris, as he is the best option at his position over Mirza Teletovic and Cory Jefferson. Trading Morris likely will not bring over a player at the same level and that could keep the Suns from making a deal. John Gambadoro reported on the situation earlier in the summer for Arizona Sports and he wrote that the situation could "get ugly" for the Suns if things extend into training camp.
Gambadoro reports that Morris would prefer a trade to the Houston Rockets or the Toronto Raptors, as Morris has relationships with James Harden and Kyle Lowry. Pro Basketball Talk writes that deals with those teams are not out of the realm of possibility, but it takes motivation from the Suns side to get something done. The site writes that those teams make "sense on a number of levels" as they both have players they can trade and a need at the position. Patrick Patterson and Terrence Ross likely would have to get moved if Morris was traded to those teams.
Kevin Pelton at ESPN writes that the Celtics could be a fit for Morris, while the Heat, Lakers or Sixers could be landing spots. The Suns have Morris on an affordable contract at four years and $32 million left on his deal and that is another reason why he may end up staying. This late into the summer with camps on the horizon, the team has their lineup and roster mostly set and Morris is a big part of that. Morris is coming off of his best season after averaging 15 points and six rebounds per game and he will not be easy to replace this later in the summer.
Check here for more on the potential trade with Morris and the Suns.
