The NBA fined Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris $10,000 following a tweet in which he publicly demanded to be traded. The tweet was the final straw after an interview with a Philadelphia newspaper in which he said, “one thing is for sure, I am not going to be there” in regards to playing in Phoenix this season.
Morris has been unhappy for some time and there is no doubt that the Suns decision to trade his brother Marcus to the Detroit Pistons in July played into the current situation. The brothers had signed extensions with the club in September because they wanted to continue to play together with the same team.
Phoenix hasn’t expressed a willingness to trade Morris and he said he won’t sit out this season, but he also made public claims that “it won’t get that far…I’m going to be out before then, should be.” So where is Morris most likely to end up playing next season? Here is a look at the four most likely landing sports for Morris via trade.
Toronto Raptors
The Suns aren’t likely to get fair trade value if they ultimately do move Morris but Toronto could give them a decent return if they decide to trade him north.
Toronto lost Amir Johnson via free agency this summer and while there has been talk about Patrick Patterson starting at the four spot with Luis Scola as the top backup, they could be looking to upgrade at the position via trade. The Raptors could offer a trade package that includes a variation of Patterson, Terrence Ross, James Johnson, Bruno Caboclo as well as draft picks and while Phoenix might be better off holding out for a greater return, the reality is that Morris could force their hand in a deal.
Boston Celtics
Boston missed out on Kevin Love – among others – in free agency and while they managed to add Johnson and David Lee, they would definitely be interested in an upgrade at the four spot. Morris would fit in nicely with a young core that overachieved last season thanks in big part to the work that head coach Brad Stevens did.
They certainly have some pieces that could be offered in a trade the other way – including draft picks. The Celtics want to win now and after striking out in free agency, they should be on the list of potential suitors to acquire Morris via trade with the suns this season.
Orlando Magic
The Channing Frye experiment simply didn’t work out for the Magic. While Aaron Gordon, last year’s fourth-overall pick, has a high ceiling there is no doubt hat Morris would be able to step in and play a major role right away this season.
The biggest question in a potential trade with Orlando would be whether or not the Magic front office feels they can trust that Morris won’t do the same thing to them if he doesn’t want to play there. That might be too much of a risk for them to move a potential future star in Gordon in exchange for a present star in Morris.
Houston Rockets
Houston is a franchise that has become known for big moves thanks to general manager Daryl Morey’s penchant for acquiring big names. There is no doubt that the Rockets would be interested in Morris as they continue their pursuit of an NBA title. Houston added point guard Ty Lawson at a decent price this summer but they lost Josh Smith. Another quality body in the frontcourt would help and Morris could be that guy.
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Detroit Pistons
It would only make sense that the Pistons would be willing to reunite the two brothers –especially since the one they have isn’t the most talented of them. The question is what Detroit would be willing to give them back in any potential trade? The Pistons don’t have many options unless they were willing to part ways with young players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Stanley Johnson. That’s unlikely to happen.
The fact that the other Morris brother plays in Detroit and the two want to play together means the Pistons get the final spot on this list. However, they may only work out in theory more so than in reality.
