The relationship between the Phoenix Suns and Markieff Morris has gone from good, to bad, to worse, back to good and once again it is bad.
Morris played only seven minutes in his last appearance for Phoenix in a stunning Suns win over the Chicago Bulls but he’s been relegated to third string forward after beginning the season as a starter.
Rumors of Morris being on the trade market once again have surfaced recently and the Houston Rockets emerged as a potential suitor but another team has now popped up out of nowhere making a new interesting potential landing spot for Markieff.
Following from Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania.
The New Orleans Pelicans have emerged as a suitor with interest in acquiring disgruntled Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
The Suns and Pelicans have had preliminary contact about a potential trade, but Morris’ pending felony aggravated assault charges remain a possible obstacle for virtually every team interested in making a deal, sources told Yahoo. Nevertheless, the Pelicans have significant interest in pairing Morris on a frontline with Anthony Davis.
Phoenix general manager Ryan McDonough has been cautious in his approach to fulfilling Morris’ longstanding trade demand, but coach Jeff Hornacek’s benching of Morris on Sunday night could be the beginning of the end for the forward in Phoenix. Morris logged just seven minutes in Phoenix’s 103-101 win over the Bulls on Monday.
The Pelicans’ willingness to part with forward Ryan Anderson could make conversations worth exploring between the two teams, league sources told Yahoo Sports. The Pelicans are willing to consider moving Anderson as a part of a potential deal for Morris, especially if Anderson doesn’t show an interest in signing a new contract with New Orleans, sources said.
Despite winning Monday, the Suns are still 9-13 and they have lost eight of their last 10 and changes could be necessary for a team that expected to compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. New Orleans started the season horribly but as of late they have found their team to be healthy and they also found their winning ways, including a big win at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.
Markieff and his brother Marcus are facing felony aggravated assault charges stemming from a January incident at a gym in Phoenix reportedly over a friend of their mother. The Detroit Pistons traded for Marcus Morris in July despite the pending charges, but risked little because it didn’t give up much in return. The Suns moved Marcus in a salary dump to clear cap space to chase after LaMarcus Aldridge and it was a move that angered Markieff. After Markieff declared his displeasure, a summer standoff between Markieff and the Suns’ organization ensued but everything was reportedly fine as the season started.
