NBA Rumors: Phoenix Suns Seal Markieff Morris Trade; Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans Interested?

By Mitch de Leon
Detroit Pistons rumored to acquire Markieff Morris out of Phoenix Suns.
 Wikimedia Commons

The relationship of the Phoenix Suns with NBA star Markieff Morris has deteriorated steadily over the past months. The most recent public spectacle concerning both parties saw Morris throwing a towel at Jeff Hornacek. The coach, who is in the position of power and authority, was no doubt humiliated and disrespected in front of the basketball community and of his peers. Moreover, the erring NBA star has committed the act following a disappointing showing of the Phoenix Suns in the hardwood court.

"My frustration got the best of me last night," said Morris via Tweeter following the incident. He added, "It won't happen again. I apologize to Jeff. My teammates told me I hit coach with the towel. In no way was that towel intended for him. I just want to help my team win so much. That's my focus moving forward."

Meanwhile, Hornacek disclosed that Morris' frustration was rooted from his limited minutes during the basketball match. While the Phoenix Suns coach understood the issue, he felt that the NBA star has yet to prove his worth to the team. Hornacek deemed it better for Morris to actually show his abilities rather than merely discussing it.

"He's mad about not playing," said Hornacek of Morris' outburst, according to ESPN. He added, "I look at the stat sheet, he's a minus-13 in 12 minutes. So there I took him out. He thinks he is better than that. Well, show me."

The towel throwing incident will cost Morris $145,455. He will be off the court for two games. Hence, no sign of Morris can be expected in the Phoenix Suns' games against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Philadelphia 76ers. It remains to be seen if his absence will affect his NBA team's performance in the LeBron James match and the Jahlil Okafor group.

"We try not to be punitive with these kind of things," said Ryan McDonough of Morris' suspension. The Phoenix Suns general manager added, "We try to be fair. That's why we consulted with the league. Sometimes, these things do get emotional. We asked for their opinion. There was precedent for these kind of situations, but we would've done the same thing if it was any of the other 14 players on the roster."

Some experts believe that this incident practically sealed the deal for trade talks involving Morris. While no official confirmation has been provided by either the NBA star or the Phoenix Suns, it is expected for Marcus Morris' twin to be in a different basketball squad next season.

"At this point, it doesn't appear that many teams are interested in Markieff Morris, with the clear exceptions being the Houston Rockets and the New Orleans Pelicans," noted Eric Saar of Basketball Insiders. He added, "Morris has earned the reputation of being disruptive in the locker room and an unnecessary distraction. The issue is not his on the court production, which was solid but not amazing (15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds) just last season. Those numbers have fallen off a cliff as his role has declined this season."

It remains to be seen if the James Harden team and the Anthony Davis squad are still interested in acquiring Morris. Some fans believe that the asking price of the Phoenix Suns might be substantially reduced due to the recent incident. 

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