Western Notes: Morris, McGee, Grizzlies

Markieff Morris made it clear that he wants out of Phoenix and although his teammates would like him back next season, they understand the forward’s situation, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic writes.

“If he stays with us, we’d definitely love to have him,” said Brandon Knight, who signed a five-year, $70MM deal with the Suns this offseason. “Great player. I’m looking forward to playing with him. But if not, it’s a business. Like I said, I just want Markieff to be happy. That’s the main thing. I love him as a player. I love his game. So as of now, I’m excited to play for him.”

Here’s more out of the Western Conference:

  • JaVale McGee has a chance to rejuvenate his career in Dallas, as we discussed in tonight’s Community Shootaround, and Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders wonders if McGee can have the same type of career turnaround that Jermaine O’Neal enjoyed after being traded to the Pacers. O’Neal spent his first four years playing for a Blazers team that didn’t give him the best chance to succeed before coming to Indiana and developing into a legitimate MVP candidate. Hamilton argues that while the idea of McGee becoming a crucial part of a successful Mavs‘ season may sound ludicrous, the idea of O’Neal leading a title contender after sitting on Portland’s bench was just as absurd.
  • Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders believes the Grizzlies‘ offseason moves are being overlooked and the team quietly had one of the best summers in the league. Memphis was able to re-sign Marc Gasol, bring in Brandan Wright via free agency and add Matt Barnes via trade. Taylor expects this season to be a critical point regarding the team’s future. Barnes, Jeff Green, Mike Conley, Courtney Lee and Beno Udrih will all play major roles this season and will all be unrestricted free agents during the summer of 2016.
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