Should The Phoenix Suns Trade Markieff Morris?

Gerald Bourguet

Mar 22, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris (11) against the Dallas Mavericks at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Mavericks 98-92. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

This conversation has felt like a long time coming, but after the departure of Marcus Morris to Detroit in a salary cap space-clearing trade, there are legitimate questions about Markieff Morris and his future with the Phoenix Suns.

Reasons For Trading Markieff Morris

It’s no secret that Markieff Morris hasn’t connected with the Suns fan base for quite some time. Keef’s abrasive demeanor wasn’t just apparent from the eye test; he also finished with the second most technicals in the league last season (15). And who could forget the time he directly called out the home crowd support after an embarrassing 27-point loss at US Airways Center to the San Antonio Spurs?

The recent felony aggravated assault charges against Keef and Marcus Morris certainly don’t help their public image, nor did anything Mook did wrong over the last year. Since the two were virtually inseparable during their time in Phoenix, all the negative feelings associated with Marcus Morris screaming at head coach Jeff Hornacek and his comments following his departure — fair or not — reflected poorly on his twin brother as well..

Simply put, Suns fans are pretty much fed up with the off-court problems and accompanying headaches that have followed the Morrii. Keef isn’t perfect on the court either.

For being 6’10”, Morris is a pretty underwhelming rebounder, averaging 6.2 rebounds per game as a starter this past season. Nobody on the Suns was a particularly efficient rebounder, but P.J. Tucker had a better rebounding percentage than Keef this past season, per Basketball-Reference.

Though Morris is a better defender than people give him credit for, he’s nowhere near where he needs to be as a rebounder and his inability to spread the floor with a consistent three-point shot in a pick-and-pop role is one of the bigger reasons the Suns fell off from 2013-14 when they had Channing Frye providing that threat.

Finally, we have to address the elephant in the room that comes in a house whose motto is “Family Over Everything.” After the Suns shipped away Marcus Morris in a trade to clear cap space — especially one that didn’t even land LaMarcus Aldridge in the end — Keef is definitely not happy with the front office right now.

Lol this a foul game here man!
— Keef Morris (@Keefmorris) July 2, 2015

Splitting up the Morris twins after making the good faith effort to bring them together has led many to wonder if general manager Ryan McDonough is searching for a trade for Keef too.

Based on what we saw of his temperament in the past year, tension between the front office and Markieff Morris would not be conducive to locker room chemistry. If handled improperly, this kind of situation could result in another roster shakeup. From that perspective, avoiding all that drama and dealing Kieff for a more positive presence seems like a preferable option.

Next: Possible Trade Partners

Possible Trade Partners

But if the Suns were to trade Markieff Morris, what would be an acceptable return for a team with a young core that would have a gaping hole at power forward in the wake of his departure?

It’s no secret that Keef’s trade value isn’t as high as it should be because of the court charges, and even putting feelers out on a deal might suggest that Keef is unhappy or demanding a trade. That would put Phoenix in a tough spot where trade partners might be unwilling to give up too many assets, knowing the Suns are boxed in and have no choice but to trade him.

However, assuming McDonough wanted to deal Keef and could initiate talks without losing too much leverage, here are a couple of options that would make the most sense:

New Orleans Pelicans: The Pellies have stretch-4 Ryan Anderson, who would be perfect fit for what the Suns need on offense. He’d be a terrific pick-and-pop partner for either Eric Bledsoe or Brandon Knight, his three-point touch would be a huge boost for a team that needs perimeter shooting and his contract matches up pretty perfectly with Markieff’s. But if Suns fans think Keef is bad defensively, they’d have a field day with Anderson’s slow-footed defense. It’s also worth noting that Anderson only has one year left on his contract ($8.5 million) before becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Chicago Bulls: The Bulls could use the offense Keef could provide and with Taj Gibson coming off of ankle surgery, he’s never been more expendable. The Suns could use the interior defense Gibson brings and since Chicago already has Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis in the frontcourt, Gibson’s place is starting to feel like it’s a little up in the air. Gibson still has two years and over $17 million left on his contract, but he also just turned 30.
Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets are trying to clean house and you’d better believe Kenneth Faried or Danilo Gallinari would be expendable if the Suns put out feelers for an offensive talent like Markieff Morris. Faried would provide the kind of rebounding and energy fans have been longing for out of the power forward position, while Gallo could log some time as a small-ball stretch-4 in Phoenix. However, the still raw Faried would never be an upgrade over Keef, and Gallinari’s injury history and contract situation (only one more year for $10.8 million) make him a tricky long-term fit.

These are just a few ideas, but you’re starting to get the picture: there might not be an ideal return for Markieff Morris at this point in time.

Next: Reasons Against

Reasons Against Trading Markieff Morris

The reasons for keeping Markieff Morris also extend beyond the fact that there aren’t many superior alternatives with LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love off the board. As much as his attitude and off-court problems negatively swayed fan approval this season, Keef is still a pretty damn good basketball player.

He’s not a great rebounder, as we covered, but he’s already developed into one of the league’s best offensive weapons at his position. With an array of midrange moves that begin once he faces up his man, Keef can get his shot off at almost any time. He’s capable of knocking down step-back jumpers, turnaround jumpers and attacking the basket, making him a tough defensive assignment.

Even better, Keef is only 25 years old, which means he’s not even in his prime yet. He’s one of the older players in Phoenix’s ultra-young core, but that doesn’t mean he’s peaked by any stretch of the imagination. The 2014-15 season was his first year playing starter’s minutes, so who’s to say he can’t improve on the glass and on the defensive end once his body is more accustomed to the grind of banging bodies in the paint with NBA starters on a nightly basis?

Finally, we can’t discuss Markieff Morris without mentioning the absolute bargain of a contract he’s on. The extension Keef signed last summer for four years and $32 million doesn’t kick in until this upcoming season, and with the NBA’s salary cap set to skyrocket by $40 million two years from now, Morris is a total steal at $8 million a season.

One can understand the qualms fans have with Keef’s disposition, and it makes sense on paper to trade the other disgruntled brother after splitting the twins up. But you don’t go dumping a young, quality, extremely clutch player like Markieff Morris just because there’s some awkward tension between him and the front office.

Morris hasn’t stopped improving his game and there’s opportunity here in Phoenix. McDonough will try to get Keef to understand that and if he’s on board, keeping him will pay dividends. Even if Keef is NOT on board, playing with a superior supporting cast and learning from a veteran locker room leader like Tyson Chandler could do wonders too.

For what it’s worth, at the introductory press conference for Tyson Chandler, McDonough iterated to a couple of reporters that while he hadn’t talked with Markieff directly yet following the Marcus Morris trade, the Suns aren’t looking to trade Keef and believe he will take advantage of the opportunity in front of him.

Next: The Verdict

The Verdict: Don’t Trade Him

Markieff Morris has a long way to go to earn back the trust and respect of Phoenix Suns fans. He’s tarnished his image both on and off the court, with issues like technicals and assault charges overshadowing the strides he’s made on the offensive end.

McDonough has said the team isn’t interested in dealing Markieff Morris. There’s no realistic target on the trade market worth giving him up for and though the player-front office relationship is a little dicey at the moment, Keef has the best team around him that he’s had so far. At the end of the day, this is the business of basketball.

Assuming he doesn’t do anything dramatic like request a trade, Keef has the opportunity to start winning back the very fan support he complained about just a few months ago. He’s got a season in which he averaged 15.3 points per game as a starter under his belt, he’s only 25 years old and, like it or not, championship teams are hardly ever entirely made up of universally likable guys.

The Suns aren’t competing for a championship next season, but that’s the ultimate goal. Bearing that in mind, dumping Keef somewhere simply because his brother is gone does not move Phoenix closer to that goal. In fact, it makes no sense in any sort of context given what Markieff Morris and his incredible contract bring to the table.

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Gerald Bourguet