Markieff Morris on still being with Suns: 'Happy to be with my team'

Markieff Morris has seemingly completed a 180, fully backing off his trade demand after the Phoenix Suns refused to indulge him.

Morris was fined $10,000 for publicly demanding a trade just over three weeks ago, in response to the Suns trading his brother Marcus without consulting him. Still in Phoenix with training camp underway and the regular season less than a month off, now he's putting on a happy face for the team and the media, whether it's because he's actually changed his mind or is simply resigned to his present situation.

"I'm excited," he told Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic on Wednesday, when asked how he feels about being back after a tumultuous summer. "Happy to be back. Happy to be with my team."

That's a far cry from his insistence back in August that if "one thing (is) for sure, I am not going to be there," and his reiteration at the beginning of September that "My future will not be in Phoenix."

The Suns will have to hope he's being sincere - they're relying on Morris to be their starting power forward and have few reliable options behind him.

In his first season as a starter last season, Morris averaged career highs in points (15.3), rebounds (6.2), assists (2.3), and steals (1.2).