Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris Morris will be asked to publicly apologize to his teammates and coaches before he can return from his two-game suspension, according to Yahoo Sports' Marc Spears. Suns management, which includes head coach Jeff Hornacek, general manager Ryan McDonough and senior adviser Lon Babby, will meet with Morris before then to deliver the request.
Markieff Morris has to apologize to his coaches and teammates before returning from suspension
Suns management wants Morris to apologize in front of his teammates and coaches after getting suspended, but some in his camp are put off by the request.
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Morris plans to do everything they ask in order to return to practice and games. However, there are some in the forward’s camp who are confused by the team’s request for more apologies because he already apologized to Hornacek and his teammates via Twitter. Morris also sent a text to Hornacek and “regularly” spoke with teammates during his suspension.
Morris was suspended two games for "conduct detrimental to the team" after throwing a towel at Hornacek when he was pulled in the Suns' 104-96 loss to the Denver Nuggets last Wednesday. (Morris said he released the towel in frustration and did not intend to hit Hornacek). It was the culmination of a lot of pent-up frustration for the 26-year-old, who's seen his role decrease in December thanks to his poor play.
It’s no secret that Morris is upset with the organization after they traded away his twin brother Marcus in the offseason during the chase for LaMarcus Aldridge. Markieff made multiple public trade demands before ultimately reporting to camp, but he has played poorly and lost his rotation spot. Trade rumors have swirled around the forward, but the Suns want to see him “make a renewed commitment to the team” in the meantime.
The sticky Morris situation is just one of many problems plaguing Phoenix this season. The Suns dropped to 12-21 with a close loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, and Hornacek is on the hot seat after two of his top assistants were let go. Worse, Eric Bledsoe, the team's best player, will miss at least six weeks with a torn meniscus in his left knee.
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