The Phoenix Suns and Markieff Morris started off the NBA season on the wrong foot. The two camps initially had to work their issues following the unexpected trade of Marcus Morris to the Detroit Pistons during the offseason. The rift between the two parties even went as far as the NBA commissioner fining the Phoenix Suns star due to his hostile behavior against his basketball team. While all seems well as of late, rumors are once again cropping up regarding a possible trade with the remaining Morris twin in the roster.
"Are we shopping him?" shared Ryan McDonough of Morris in an interview with Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. The Phoenix Suns general manager expounded, "I wouldn't necessarily say that, but we're looking at whatever we can do to upgrade our team. The trade deadline is in late February. Despite our struggles, I think as we sit here today we're one game out of the eight spot in the West, and I think we just went through the toughest part of our schedule and we were able to keep our head above water, so to speak."
McDonough's words, albeit evasive, appeared to have further sparked the trade rumors involving Morris. However, some of his comments during the said radio interview further confused fans. For instance, the Phoenix Suns general manager praised how Morris had been quite a supportive teammate this season.
"His attitude has been very good and that's something I think people externally don't see," said McDonough. He added, "But if you saw the shot of our bench reaction the other night when Mirza [Teletovic] hit that shot, he was excited. He jumped up, he celebrated."
Should Morris exit the Phoenix Suns locker room next NBA season, two teams have been consistently reported as his possible destination: the Houston Rockets and the New Orleans Pelicans.
According to SB Nation, the New Orleans Pelicans could see the entrance of Morris in their roster if they are willing to part with Ryan Anderson. Sports analysts believe that the combination of the skills of Morris and Anthony Davis will make up for the New Orleans Pelicans' lackluster performance this NBA season. However, it remains to be seen if the Phoenix Suns and the New Orleans Pelicans can settle a deal despite Morris' pending legal battles.
As for the Houston Rockets, Marc Stein on ESPN shared that the James Harden squad hinted on a possible trade with the Phoenix Suns. With the recent firing of the Dwight Howard team's coach, it comes as no surprise that a roster revamp might be on its way. Stein noted that the possible entry of Morris into the Houston Rockets locker room might come with the exit of Terrence Jones in the roster.
"Let's put it this way, we'll be active and aggressive," shared McDonough regarding the possible trade of Morris. He added, "Usually you see the NBA trade market heat up a little bit between probably next week, in mid-December, and the trade deadline, which is in late-February - that's when most of the deals get done."
