The Phoenix Suns continue to hold firm in their desire to not move forward Markieff Morris, even with Morris being one of just three under-contract players not taking part in voluntary team workouts in Phoenix this week, according to the Arizona Republic's Paul Coro.
Suns have no plans to honor Markieff Morris’ trade request
The forward is angry at Phoenix for trading his twin brother and wants out. The Suns, though, reportedly have no intention of giving in.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Three weeks ago Morris demanded a trade, telling Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer: "One thing for sure, I am not going to be there. If you want to put that out there, you can put that out. "I don't give a [freak]. I am not going to be there at all. That's just what it is."
The blowup was the result of the Suns' decision to trade Morris' twin brother, Marcus, to the Pistons earlier in the summer (presumably to clear cap space in order to chase LaMarcus Aldridge). Markieff told Pompey that he was annoyed by how Phoenix handled the trade. He claimed the twins were informed of the deal while they were on vacation and that the franchise had not communicated beforehand that a deal might occur. Morris reportedly hasn't spoken to the Suns since.
That both brothers believe they signed below-market deals last summer (Markieff at four-yeasr, $32 million; Marus at four-years and $20 million), which begin this upcoming season, in order to stay with the Suns only makes the situation more complex.
“The Suns need and want Morris,” writes Coro. “They would not stand much of a chance to replace him by trade. They would have no chance to replace him by free agency. They do not have an adequate existing roster option.”
Why keeping Morris makes sense
Because, as Coro mentions, the Suns would not be able to replace him. He’s still just 25 years old and last season emerged as one of the better front court scorers in the league. Morris averaged 15.3 points on 47 percent shooting and was fifth in the NBA in points scored during the final minute of one-possession games (via Sports Illustrated).
That Morris can shoot from the perimeter should also allow him to share the floor with Phoenix's new center, Tyson Chandler. The two of them could form one of the better defensive front courts in the league. Morris only averaged 6.2 rebounds per game last season, but the Suns were 5.7 points per 100 possessions better on defense when the 6'10 forward was on the floor, per NBA.com.
Morris is big, strong and agile. Finding a player with his size with his skills this late in the summer will be nearly impossible to do. The Suns could try to orchestrate a trade, but it’s unlikely they get fair value in return given the fact that every team in the league knows Morris wants out.
The Suns could try the free agent route, but there aren't many options left. Tristan Thompson would help on defense, but he's not close to the scorer that Morris is and it would come as a surprise if he didn't re-sign with the Cavaliers. Carlos Boozer has been productive in the past, but he shouldn't be seeing crunch time minutes on a good team.
Why the Suns should trade Morris
Because it’s very clear that he has zero interest in remaining in Phoenix.
“I’ve got to show up. No question.” Morris said to Pompey when asked if he planned on attending training camp. “You can’t do that. I will be a professional. Don’t get me wrong.
“But it won’t get that far. ... I’m going to be out before then, should be.”
Morris surely wants to collect every dime of the eight million dollars he’s owed this season, but attending and willingly participating are two very different things. Basketball is a sport where chemistry matters. Do the Suns really want to keep a player around who might mope through drills? Obviously the goal will be to convince Morris that staying in Phoenix is what’s best for him, too, but what if they fail to do so? Having a player like that around the locker room and practice court is the kind of distraction that could derail a season.
Likelihood of Morris getting traded: 3/10
As of now all indications are that the Suns plan on keeping Morris around. That could obviously wind up changing, but this isn’t the first time an NBA player has been angered by a team’s offseason. In this case, the Suns have all the power. Morris can try to force a trade, but he’s under contract for four more years. There’s really not much he can do to make the Suns give in.
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