Family has been shipped away. Strong words have been uttered and tweeted. Bridges have been burned between player and fan base. In short, there seems to be no happy ending in sight for Markieff Morris and his embattled relationship with the Phoenix Suns.
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However, head coach Jeff Hornacek still believes there’s a chance that those relationships can be mended in the coming weeks, when Morris reports to Phoenix for the start of training camp.
Per Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic:
"“’It’s a case of hopefully he can get here and we can all talk to him,’ Hornacek said. ‘I think, once he gets here with the players, maybe the players can help with that regard and realize that probably, like anything else, it happens when you might not be happy with the organization.‘But you’re a professional. You go out there and play as hard as you can. Really, when you get out there and start playing games, you’re not playing for the organization. You’re probably not even playing for your coaches. You’re playing for yourself and your teammates because that’s the bond those guys have as players. Once he gets playing with these guys, I think he’ll be OK.’”"
On the one hand, Hornacek’s optimism might seem a little far-fetched. For a guy who lives by the “FOE” motto (family over everything), sending away his twin brother/best friend/roommate/nearly identical personality was an affront that Keef just doesn’t seem like the type to forgive.
In fact, Keef even said as much recently, eventually earning a $10,000 fine from the league for his public demands for a trade.
My future will not be in Phoenix.... #thatisall #backtothegrind #FOE
— Keef Morris (@Keefmorris) September 4, 2015
From the Suns’ perspective, taking the optimistic stance is the appropriate approach for now. Until this situation reaches a breaking point, which won’t happen until Keef returns to Phoenix or refuses to play, the Suns have no reason to cave to his trade demands and ship him away with his value currently so low.
In fact, even though the Suns hold the leverage of $32 million for the next four years over his head, they also need Keef to have any shot at making the playoffs this season.
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If Phoenix trades him, they won’t be getting equal value and will more than likely have to start Mirza Teletovic or Jon Leuer. Teletovic and Leuer are fine role players, but they’re not capable starters in the brutal Western Conference.
If Keef holds out, the Suns face the same situation. If Keef plays and remains unhappy, the team runs the risk of upsetting the newfound team chemistry that the front office — and players themselves — have spent all summer trying to build. For a team that needs a level-headed Markieff Morris to reach its full potential this season, taking the optimistic stance is the only option.
However, that’s not to say that Hornacek is being completely naive here. In fact, he even publicly acknowledged the situation by slyly alluding to it during the Suns’ new uniform presentation Tuesday night:
Hornacek isn’t the kind of guy to beat around the bush, nor is he one to say what he thinks the media wants to hear. He brings up an extremely good point too: in this league, the players aren’t playing for the organization, the front office or even the coaching staff; they’re playing for themselves, their paycheck and hopefully, their teammates.
As much as Keef has built a bad reputation around the league, he has developed bonds with his current Suns teammates and he’s not dumb enough to give up $32 million by getting himself suspended without pay and then refusing to cave simply because his brother was traded.
Guys who know Markieff Morris well like Eric Bledsoe and Archie Goodwin could play a part in convincing Keef to just focus on basketball. The leadership qualities of Tyson Chandler and Brandon Knight could help as well. But with so many Suns showing up early for voluntary workouts this summer, perhaps that focus on improving will win the day.
It doesn’t seem likely that Markieff Morris will see reason after the summer of headlines he’s had, but for the time being, the Suns’ best option is to remain patient and optimistic that they can get him to see reason until their hand is forced.
Next: Drawing Up Potential Markieff Morris Trades