Suns in no-win situation after fallout with Markieff Morris

The Phoenix Suns reportedly aren't interested in giving into Markieff Morris' trade demands, but the disgruntled forward is forcing their hand.

Morris, who is thoroughly unhappy about the Suns' decision to trade his twin brother Marcus Morris to Detroit for a draft pick in July, once again voiced his displeasure with the club on Thursday.

The Suns now have two options: trade Morris, or keep him and hope to mend fences. Either way, it's a no-win scenario.

Trading Morris

Dealing Morris should be easy. Despite his fallout with the Suns, Morris is a young, talented, and productive forward who is signed to a team-friendly contract.

Morris is owed $32 million over the next four seasons, a steal in the league's rising cap environment. The 26-year-old posted career highs in points (15.3), rebounds (6.2), and steals (1.2) in a breakout 2014-15 campaign. Morris has also shown the ability to stay healthy, missing just four games in his career to date.

However, Morris' griping could very well undercut his trade value. Rival teams could understand that Morris is pressuring the Suns into a trade, and they may be less inclined to pay what Phoenix might ask. Interested teams could bide their time in hopes of a lower asking price.

There's also the tricky matter of Morris' impending aggravated assault case, which could ultimately decline his trade value further.

From the Suns' perspective, finding a trade partner might also prove difficult because they have very particular needs. Morris is the Suns' only viable option to start at power forward, therefore they'd likely target another four as a return.

But what team, if any, would be willing to part with its own power forward for a disgruntled Morris? Phoenix could have to sweeten the pot, or accept a less-proven player in return.

Keeping Morris

The other option for the Suns would be to keep Morris, and either hope to mend the fences, or perhaps discipline him further if he chooses to skip any mandatory team activities.

Reconciling with Morris seems unlikely at this point. The relationship appears doomed, especially since Morris has now gone on record twice denouncing the Suns. Morris feels Phoenix betrayed his trust by moving his twin, while also reportedly trying to trade him as well.

Of course, it would help the Suns immensely if these burned bridges are able to be rebuilt. Before all the mayhem broke out, the Suns were poised to challenge for a playoff spot.

Morris was, and is, a key part of their plans to contend. He's a perfect fit for their system, which leverages two pick-and-roll point guards operating off high screens from Tyson Chandler to create easy looks around the floor. Having a versatile stretch-four in Morris is vital to their offense.

If the sides can't make peace, and the Suns can't work out a trade, Morris could choose to sit out games. He already skipped out on last week's optional training camp session that 12 players attended. The Suns could recoup their money by suspending him without pay, but the result would be the same as a trade: Phoenix would still effectively lose Morris' production.

Alternatively, if Morris does play, the Suns would still have a malcontent who could create issues in the locker room.

Whatever the Suns decide to do, the end result will likely be the same: a net loss for their team on the floor. They'll be taking a loss either way.