Markieff Morris fined $10K for publicly demanding trade from Suns

The NBA fined Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris $10,000 on Tuesday for publicly demanding a trade.

Morris has gone on record twice - first in an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, and again on his Twitter account - to announce his displeasure with the Suns. It was specifically for his tweet, which landed Morris the fine, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.

From the league's press release:

Markieff Morris of the Phoenix Suns has been fined $10,000 for a public statement detrimental to the NBA, the league announced today. The statement concerned Morris’ desire to be traded by the Suns

Morris was upset by the Suns' handling of his twin brother, Marcus, who was traded to the Detroit Pistons earlier this summer. The twins had planned on playing together, and that desire was made known to the Suns when the team signed both players to something of a combo deal last summer.

The twins were further enraged by the Suns' negligence to warn them before the move was made, which Marcus called a "slap in the face."

The trade was made to clear out cap room, as the Suns were reportedly pursuing LaMarcus Aldridge, who would have significantly undercut Markieff's role had he signed with the team.

Related: Suns in no-win situation after fallout with Markieff Morris

The Suns, however, are reportedly intent on keeping Morris, whose disgruntled rumblings "fell on deaf ears." Morris, meanwhile, was a notable absence at Phoenix's early training camp in August.

For the time being, the two sides continue to remain in a cold detente. Morris still has four years remaining on his contract.

The 26-year-old averaged 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds with Phoenix last season and ranked second behind Eric Bledsoe for the team's lead in both minutes played and points scored.