Markieff Morris Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Garnett, Fournier, Morris

December 9th, 2015 at 8:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Timberwolves don’t expect Kevin Garnett to end his playing days with much fanfare, and the veteran intends to make the twilight of his career more about helping the younger players around him, Andy Greder of The Pioneer Press writes. “He’s never gonna go out on a Harley,” said Clippers head man Doc Rivers, who coached Garnett in Boston.”He’s really into it with his guys, loves the young guys. Kevin loving young guys is really good, because if you don’t have the right kind love of the game, for Kevin, he’s not gonna love you back, and that’s a fact. Clearly, he feels like they got it right with the young guys, not only guys with talent, but guys that want to be winners.”

“My choice in coming back here had a lot more of a plan and a future involved in to it,” Garnett said. “I understand that it’s not about me, it’s about Andrew Wiggins, it’s about Karl-Anthony Towns, it’s about Ricky Rubio and Zach LaVine and these young guys in here,” Garnett said. “I’m just trying to teach the things I know and teach the things that I’ve experienced since I’ve been here.”

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Denver “will always be in my heart,” said Evan Fournier, who spent his first two NBA seasons with the Nuggets, but as far as basketball is concerned, he’s moved on, as he told Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Fournier is poised for restricted free agency this summer, with his camp having reportedly asked the Magic, who apparently offered $8MM annually, for salaries well in excess of $10MM a year.
Markieff Morris says that he is still happy to be a member of the Suns despite his reduced role on the team, though he wouldn’t directly answer questions about whether he still wanted to be traded and whether his relationship with the organization had gotten better, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic relays. “I’ll contribute any way I can, whether it’s cheering my teammates on or being in the game,” Morris said after Monday’s game. “Coach [Jeff Hornacek] is a great guy. Our team fought real hard. He put me in for a little bit of time and I just wanted to go out there and play hard and contribute any way I can. I didn’t score but I got a couple stops. We got the win. That’s what is important. I keep in high spirits and keep my confidence. Whenever my number is called, I’ll be ready always.”
The Kings have assigned Duje Dukan to the Reno Bighorns, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Dukan’s third trek to Reno on the season.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Pelicans, Suns Open Talks On Markieff Morris

December 8th, 2015 at 12:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pelicans and Suns have engaged in preliminary dialogue about a trade involving Markieff Morris, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. New Orleans has “significant interest” in acquiring Morris and would consider giving up Ryan Anderson, especially if Anderson, who’s on an expiring contract, doesn’t show interest in signing new deal, Wojnarowski and Charania hear. Morris has continued to push for a trade, the Yahoo scribes write, which casts doubt on what seemed to be a change of heart at the beginning of the season, when Morris professed that he wanted to stay in Phoenix.

The felony aggravated assault charges that Morris faces concern just about every team interested in trading for him, sources told Wojnarowski and Charania. Still, belief around the league is growing that the Suns are warming to the idea of trading him after having resisted since he demanded a trade over the summer, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported when he identified the Rockets as another Morris suitor. The Pistons are also reportedly interested, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reported in October.

Jordan Schultz of the Huffington Post first connected Anderson and Morris in the offseason, when he wrote that Phoenix was attempting to trade Morris and that Phoenix was targeting Anderson. That report came after the Suns agreed to trade Marcus Morris, Markieff’s twin, to the Pistons, but before Markieff publicly made his trade demand.

Sources close to the Pelicans recently told Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders that the team values Anderson quite highly and that it would take a “monster offer” for New Orleans to think about parting with him. The Pelicans are enamored with the potential pairing of Morris and Anthony Davis, Wojnarowski and Charania write, so perhaps that’s enough to sway the New Orleans brass.

Morris has indicated on multiple occasions since he backed off his trade demand at the start of training camp that he’s content with the Suns, and he even said after coach Jeff Hornacek removed him from the starting lineup for Friday’s game that he deserved the benching. Morris didn’t comment after Sunday’s game, when Hornacek declined to play him at all.

Anderson’s $8.5MM salary is nearly identical to the $8MM Morris is making, so a one-for-one swap would work. Both are eligible to be traded immediately and aren’t subject to the December 15th date upon which most offseason signees become trade-eligible. The primary difference in their contracts is the remaining length. Morris is in the first year of a four-year extension, while Anderson is poised to hit free agency in the summer ahead.

Who do you think would benefit most from a Morris-Anderson swap? Leave a comment to let us know.

And-Ones: Morris, Begić, Jack

December 6th, 2015 at 10:34pm CST by Will Joseph

The Markieff Morris saga is “reheating,” Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic writes, after Suns coach Jeff Hornacek gave Morris his first benching by coach’s decision since 2011/12, the power forward’s rookie year. Hornacek, according to Coro, spoke with Morris before the team warmed up for Sunday’s game. Morris issued a trade demand in August after his brother, Marcus, was shipped to the Pistons. When training camp started, however, Morris declared he wanted to be in Phoenix. Morris, Coro notes, did not speak with reporters Sunday.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Mirza Begić, whom the Pelicans waived in October, is close to signing with Spain’s Bilbao, according to elcorreo.com (h/t Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
The relationship between Nets guard Jarrett Jack and Stephen Curry extends beyond basketball, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com details. Curry mentioned the influence Jack (when he was with the Warriors) had on his career during his MVP speech. “I look at Steph like a little brother, but he’s somebody that I look up to and try to be like in a lot of ways,” Jack said, per Mazzeo. “What he said at his MVP speech — to take time out to acknowledge me during a moment where he deserved all of the [recognition] — it was amazing.”
Kobe Bryant has hinted at a desire to take a front office job with the Lakers, but he’s since clarified that if he sticks around the NBA after he’s done playing, he wants to be an owner, notes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “If I’m involved in basketball from a league perspective,” Bryant said, “it would be from an ownership perspective.”

Pacific Notes: Bryant, Morris, Thomas

December 5th, 2015 at 3:17pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Lakers coach Byron Scott said that he found out that Kobe Bryant intends to retire after this season when the shooting guard informed him during the third quarter of last Saturday’s game against the Blazers, Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com relays. “I said, ‘KB, I played you 20 minutes in the first half. I’m going to cut those minutes down. I’ve got to cut them down,‘” Scott told ESPN. “He said, ‘That’s good, coach. That’s all right. I’m going to announce my retirement after the game.’”

Bryant didn’t intend to inform Scott in that manner, Holmes notes. “I have no idea. I don’t know,” Bryant said on why he told his coach during the game. “It just slipped out. It just slipped out. He was worried about the minutes. I said, it doesn’t matter. I’m not playing next year anyway. He was like [gives an odd stare]. I looked at him at his face, and I realized I said it. He was just shocked. I said, you know what? I’m just leaving him like that. I’m not even going to soften him up. I’m just going to mess with him a little bit. Then after the game, he walks by and he goes, ‘Hey, um, remember what you said during the game?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘Did you mean it? I said, ‘Yeah.’ He was like, ‘OK, all right.’ But it just kind of slipped out.”

Here’s more from out of the Pacific Division:

Markieff Morris disputes his brother Marcus’ assessment that he looks unhappy playing for the Suns this season, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “That’s just his opinion,” Morris said. “He knows me and he thinks he knows. Outside looking in, really. It’s his opinion. We don’t really talk too much about it. I’m just trying to get my job done. Missing [expletive] shots. I’m all right. If you didn’t hear it from me, then I’m all right.” The forward also downplayed any notion that he isn’t engaged this season, Coro adds, with Morris saying, “I’ve got to be the same,” said Morris. “Nothing different. I’m good where I’m at and just trying to move forward.”
Former Kings point guard Isaiah Thomas was disappointed that he wouldn’t have the opportunity to play in Sacramento this season since the teams squared off in Mexico City instead, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes. “I definitely wanted to go back to Sac,” Thomas said. “It’s always a home for me and always a special place in my heart. When the schedule came out, I was looking for that Sac game and then it was in Mexico, so I was like, I won’t be able to go back to Sac.”

Marcus Morris: Markieff Looks Unhappy On Suns

November 6th, 2015 at 2:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

Markieff Morris has had nothing but positives to say about the Suns since he arrived at the team’s training camp in September and backed off his summer trade demand, but twin brother Marcus Morris isn’t sold on the idea that he still likes playing for Phoenix. Markieff Morris “doesn’t look happy,” his brother said today to reporters, including MLive’s David Mayo.

“He just don’t look comfortable,” Marcus Morris added, according to Mayo. “He don’t look too excited.”

Still, Marcus Morris wouldn’t directly answer whether his brother wants to be traded, according to Mayo. The Suns have been steadfast before and since Markieff Morris pronounced his desire to remain in Phoenix that they have no intention of trading him, though the Pistons, whose deal with the Suns to acquire Marcus Morris in July touched off the controversy, reportedly have some interest in reuniting the brothers.

Marcus Morris said today that he hopes his brother can end up on a team he enjoys playing for and expressed his fondness for his experience with the Pistons so far this season, Mayo notes. Detroit’s new starting small forward sent mixed messages Thursday about whether he’s past his own resentment toward the Suns, who play host to the Pistons in tonight’s game.

Markieff Morris said repeatedly over the summer that he wanted out of Phoenix, a narrative that began when John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 radio reported his displeasure with the team following the departure of his brother. He made his public trade demand to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer soon thereafter, and later tweeted, “My future will not be in Phoenix,” a remark that drew a $10K fine from the NBA. His contract calls for him to make $8MM this season, the first in a four-year extension he signed a year ago in the ill-fated hopes that it would allow him a long term future of playing alongside his brother, who simultaneously signed a four-year, $20MM extension.

Do you think Markieff Morris will still be on the Suns when the trade deadline passes? Leave a comment to let us know.

And-Ones: Morris, Stephenson, D-League, Stretch

October 30th, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Markieff Morris didn’t have a lot to say when asked about playing apart from his brother, notes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Morris seemingly vacated an offseason trade demand when he arrived at Suns camp in September, nearly three months after Phoenix irked him with the trade that sent his twin to Detroit.

“It is what it is. He’s at work. I’m at work. Same thing,” Morris said.

He also expressed no surprise that Marcus Morris is off to a strong start with the Pistons, Coro notes. See more from around the league:

Lance Stephenson has pleasantly surprised the Clippers so far, unexpectedly winning a starting job and rewarding the team for its extra diligence during the vetting process for the trade that brought him to L.A., as USA Today’s Sam Amick details. Clippers GM Dave Wohl made 61 calls to people who know Stephenson instead of the standard 20, according to Amick. “I don’t think we’ve ever made more [background] calls for a player in my life,” Clippers coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers said before Thursday’s game. “We had to make sure, but I’ve got to tell you that I’m really excited.”
Cartier Martin, whom the Pistons waived last week despite a fully guaranteed salary of nearly $1.271MM, and eight-year NBA veteran Ronnie Brewer are among the players signing D-League contracts that will funnel them to Saturday’s D-League draft, league sources tell Adam Johnson of D-League Digest (Twitter links). In Martin’s case, that means the Pistons elected not to claim his D-League rights. Hornets camp cut Sam Thompson is also signing with the D-League and heading to the D-League draft, a source tells Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor (Twitter link). Charlotte won’t have an affiliate until next year and thus couldn’t claim his rights.
The use of the stretch provision is down this year after a surge in 2014, but a Western Conference GM who spoke with Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com believes that over time, teams will more frequently use the mechanism to spread out the payment schedule for money owed to players. “The stretch provision was something that was really being underutilized until pretty recently. I don’t think some teams understood how it could be used as a benefit,” the GM said. “I think we’ll see it more in the future because with the salary cap going up, it will be easier to fit into your planning.”

Western Notes: Kobe, Morris, Barnes, Davis

October 8th, 2015 at 3:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

The majority of the two dozen team executives, scouts, agents and other figures from around the NBA who spoke with Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com said the Lakers definitely shouldn’t re-sign Kobe Bryant if he decides to play beyond the expiration of his contract at season’s end. Another sizable chunk of respondents said it should depend on his health, while only one said the Lakers should definitely bring him back. Part of the issue involves repeated assertions from people around the league that free agents won’t want to sign with the Lakers and play with their longtime star, as Holmes relays. Bryant has said he won’t play for an NBA team aside from the Lakers, but if he did, few teams would have interest, Holmes hears. One executive mentioned the Knicks as a possibility, and another brought up the Clippers. See more from around the Western Conference:

Markieff Morris gave further indication Wednesday that he indeed wants to stick around Phoenix, telling reporters, including Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, that he intends to convince local fans he’s on board. “I’ll win them back,” Morris said. “That’s all I can say about that.” Morris last week backed off his trade demand from the summer, and the Suns apparently have no interest in sending him out, even though the Pistons are reportedly interested.
Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger and Matt Barnes sloughed off the notion that reports that Barnes physically attacked Knicks coach Derek Fisher will have any bearing on the team, and Joerger expressed full support for his player, notes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. Barnes said that he hasn’t spoken with anyone from the league office, but the NBA is investigating, Tillery adds. Memphis traded for Barnes this summer, and he’s entering the final season of his contract.
Ed Davis prioritized the chance for minutes over money when he decided to sign a three-year, $20MM deal with the Blazers this summer, as Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com details. “I was playing well in Toronto my third year, then I got traded to Memphis,” Davis said. “I played behind [Zach Randolph] and Marc [Gasol] for a year and a half, didn’t really get the opportunity. I was playing 13, 14 minutes a game and there’s no way that’s you’re going to be successful in the NBA with those minutes. That set me back for a year and a half. I guess the media or whatever thought I couldn’t play, or whatever it was. Went to L.A. [Lakers] last year, had a decent year and everything turned. Now I’m in a great situation and I’m looking forward to it.”

Pistons Eye Markieff Morris?

October 6th, 2015 at 5:37pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Disgruntled Suns forward Markieff Morris may get his wish to rejoin his twin brother in Detroit at some point, with the Pistons monitoring Morris’ situation in Phoenix closely, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Ellis does note that the Suns don’t appear to be currently interested in making a trade, but that could change on December 15th, which is the date most players become eligible to be traded (Twitter links). The former 13th overall pick had planned not to talk to the Suns front office and to answer coach Jeff Hornacek only with one-word responses until he was dealt, though Morris later backed off his rigid stance and declared “I want to be here” at Phoenix’s media day gathering. Markieff is slated to make $8MM this coming season in the first year of his four-year, $32MM extension.

Morris had previously said that he felt disrespected by the way the team handled the July 9th trade of his twin and former teammate, Marcus Morris, to the Pistons, and had made it clear that he wanted out of Phoenix prior to the 2015/16 season commencing. “One thing for sure, I am not going to be there,” Markieff had said. “If you want to put that out there, you can put that out,” he added. “. . . I am not to going to be there at all.” Those comments to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer essentially confirmed a report from John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 radio that Markieff wanted off the Suns. Morris was fined $10k by the league for making those public statements.. Morris was fined $10k by the league for making those public statements.

The Pistons don’t necessarily have a need for Markieff after the offseason addition of Ersan Ilyasova, who was acquired in a trade with the Bucks. Marcus has also said that the opportunity to play away from his brother, while not ideal, could help him grow as a player. “I kind of wanted to play with my brother [twin Markieff Morris] so much that I kind of took away from myself,” Marcus said. “I didn’t think I had an opportunity to get better. I don’t think I had the chance to grow as a player over there. I think the opportunity is here for me.”

The brothers are also both facing felony aggravated assault charges for their alleged roles in a January brawl at a Phoenix recreation center, which could dampen the Pistons’ interest somewhat. The duo would be suspended a minimum of 10 games if they are found guilty of a felony and could also face a suspension if they’re guilty of a misdemeanor.

Pacific Notes: Johnson, Morris, Barnes, Collison

September 30th, 2015 at 2:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Wesley Johnson grew tired of the individualism on the Lakers last season and sought a change this summer, as Janis Carr of the Orange County Register details. Johnson signed with the Clippers, citing the persistence of the front office that took a similar tack in its pursuit of Josh Smith, and the swingman praised the clear set of expectations that Doc Rivers has laid out for him, contrasting it to what he thought was a disjointed Lakers offense, Carr observes.

“You would go out there and want to play the right way, but everyone wanted to prove themselves,” Johnson said, according to Carr. “So nobody really knew what was going on. Nobody ever knew, so it was hard for anyone to come in and get into a good rhythm or flow. Nobody was playing together.”

See more from the Pacific Division:

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic finds the sudden change of heart from Markieff Morris hard to believe, but Morris and Suns officials recently engaged in a lengthy conversation and expressed a mutual desire to make their partnership work, sources tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. “I’m excited. Happy to be back. Happy to be with my team,” Morris told Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link).
Harrison Barnes would have been pleased to sign for $10MM a year as of this past June, a source told Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. The former seventh overall pick more recently turned down a four-year, $64MM offer from the Warriors, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported.
Darren Collison signed with the Kings in 2014 chiefly so he could start, but he’s a long shot to remain the team’s starter this season with new signee Rajon Rondo aboard, as Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee examines. Collison wants to start, but he’s not about to rock the boat, either, Voisin writes.
Robert Upshaw was red-flagged over concerns about the health of his heart during predraft workouts, and though doctors eventually cleared him, he believes the time he had to step away from draft prep set him back, as he explains to Pincus, who writes in a piece for the Los Angeles Times. Upshaw went undrafted and signed a partially guaranteed minimum-salary deal with the Lakers. “It was zero basketball activity, zero activity,” Upshaw said. “It’s hard to get in shape and it’s easy to get out of shape. I got out of shape really fast, it was a month’s time where I was just barely doing anything.”
The contracts that Juwan Staten and Tony Mitchell signed with the Warriors are non-guaranteed for the minimum salary and cover only one season, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Ben Gordon‘s full contract details are still unclear, but half of his salary becomes guaranteed if he sticks for opening night, according to former Nets executive Bobby Marks (on Twitter).

Markieff Morris On Suns: ‘I Want To Be Here’

September 28th, 2015 at 2:55pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:55pm: Morris said he’s “super-excited” to play with offseason signee Tyson Chandler, and he called this year’s team the best Suns squad he’s been a part of, according to Coro, who writes in a full story.

“The ultimate goal is to make the playoffs,” Morris said. “It’s not about me. It’s about my teammates and the organization. I’m just looking forward to a great year and hopefully we can make the playoffs this year.”

12:12pm: Markieff Morris declared “I want to be here” as he addressed reporters at Suns media day today on the eve of training camp, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link), declining to otherwise address his tumultuous offseason relationship with the Suns. Morris demanded a trade in August, weeks after the team dealt his twin brother to the Pistons. Morris had said even as he made his trade demand that he would show up for camp, but it’s surprising to see him seemingly put it behind him after doubling down earlier this month, tweeting that, “My future will not be in Phoenix.” That remark drew a $10K fine from the league, so perhaps it’s the threat of punishment that has the power forward changing his rhetoric.

Suns GM Ryan McDonough and coach Jeff Hornacek brushed off the idea of lingering animosity, in keeping with the optimism they’ve consistently shown about reaching a reconciliation, as Coro relays (Twitter links). The Suns have reportedly been disinclined to give in to Morris’ demand.

“He’s certainly not the first and won’t be the last player to be upset with the front office,” GM Ryan McDonough said, according to Coro. “It happens.”

McDonough wasn’t apologetic about failing to give Morris advance warning about trading his brother, however, in comments that Coro tweets. Morris expressed displeasure as he made his trade demand that the Suns didn’t run his brother’s trade by him.

The former 13th overall pick had planned not to talk to the Suns front office and to answer Hornacek only with one-word responses, as John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reported. It’s unclear if he’s changed that stance. In any case, he’s due $8MM this season in the first year of a four-year, $32MM extension that he signed at the same time his brother inked a four-year, $20MM extension with the team in the hopes that the pair would be together for the long term.

Do you believe that Morris truly no longer wants to be traded, or do you think this storyline will come up again? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.