Report: Markieff Morris wants out of Phoenix
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Marcus Morris may not be the only Morris twin the Phoenix Suns upset by dealing him to the Detroit Pistons this offseason.
While Marcus has been outspoken about the "slap in the face" of being dealt after he and twin brother Markieff Morris signed extensions only to be split up one year later, Markieff has mostly kept quiet. But behind the scenes, Markieff isn't too happy, either, according to The Burns and Gambo radio show in Arizona, and he reportedly wants out of the desert.
It's absolutely necessary to consider the source in this case, even if Markieff being upset with the situation would be understandable.
The "Gambo" side of the show, John Gambadoro, recently engaged in a Twitter battle with Marcus after Marcus called Suns fans bandwagon fans. Gambadoro went overboard, even offering to give Marcus a ride to his next court date (the twins have been charged with aggravated assault and are seeking a new grand jury for the case).
So, take the rumor with a grain of salt. But Morris' displeasure wouldn't be surprising given the constant changes in direction in Phoenix and the unkind words that Marcus, Goran Dragic, and Isaiah Thomas had on their way out the door. Markieff has also been critical of the quiet fanbase, for however much that's worth.
Dealing brother Marcus would almost certainly be Markieff's main gripe, as the pair had been clear they wanted teams to view them as a tandem and had designs on spending their entire careers together. The Suns unloading Marcus to clear cap space for a run at LaMarcus Aldridge was a reasonable basketball risk, but there may be some collateral damage.
If Markieff wants out and the Suns are amenable to dealing him, it shouldn't be too difficult to find a trade partner. Markieff is about to enter the first season of the four-year, $32-million extension he signed last summer, a contract that should prove a relative bargain if he continues to improve as he has through his first four seasons.
Markieff averaged 15.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 steals over 82 games in 2014-15, shooting 46.5 percent from the floor and 31.8 percent from long-range. He's missed just one game over the past three seasons, and if he can begin consistently knocking down triples, he could develop into one of the best young stretch bigs in the league on the offensive end.
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