The saga between Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns continues and now, new reports suggest that the supposedly degrading relationship between the power forward and his team my lead to a trade off before the next season.
Morris' predicament has started early in the summer when the Suns traded Marcus, his twin brother, to the Detroit Pistons. He was reportedly upset at that decision as well as the team's earlier deal with the twins which Markieff sees as disadvantageous to them.
The 26-year-old Suns players had made a series of public comments indicating that he wanted to be traded and for that he was fined by the NBA for $10,000. However, that apparently did not stop him from continuing to insinuate his displeasure with the team.
Late last week, Markieff retweeted a post which reads "I don't accept apologies, you did what made you happy at the expense of my emotions and I understand but I won't respect it."
The report that added fuel to the rumors that Morris will be released by the Suns was started by Zach Lowe of Grantland. His post recently created waves among NBA fans when he wrote that the Phoenix Suns might be looking to trade Markieff Morris for the New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony.
"The Kings and Knicks should take a look, even though neither has movable assets that would interest Phoenix - unless the Knicks are ready to engage in Carmelo Anthony trade talks. (They're not there, yet. But they're getting closer)," Lowe wrote. His hint could mean something or nothing, depending on how much readers would take it.
Nevertheless, moving one of the league's elite scorers is unlikely, especially when that scorer is Anthony who is currently playing for his hometown. The New York Knicks recently went through one of the worst seasons in its history and their power forward only made it through 40 games.
The player averaged 24.2 points but his percentages were down along with his assist numbers. Anthony is also past 30 years old and can now include a major knee surgery in his medical record. What makes him even less likely to be traded is the fact that the Knicks owe him about $101 million through the 2017-18 season.
On the other hand, it is difficult for the Phoenix Suns to trade off Morris especially now that they are heading into training camp and the organization needs Morris at his current position. Despite the rift, Morris has a solid contract and good statistics, meaning the Suns would probably not be getting the same value back if a trade is made.
Aside from the reported Knicks trade off, Basketball Insiders mentioned that other possible teams including the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, and even the Detroit Pistons could make offers to the Suns. However, no deal is close to happening at present as the Phoenix is about to being its camp by the end of the month.
