4. He’s Markieff’s Backup
There are plenty of likable players on the Suns’ roster now, but we shouldn’t ignore the elephant in the room that Markieff Morris is well on his way to becoming one of the least likable players in the team’s 47-year history.
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Last season, Keef finished with the second most technicals in the NBA, he publicly bashed the home crowd support and he was charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault. Over the summer, he held his silence about the Suns trading away his twin brother Marcus Morris for a few weeks…until unloading to his hometown paper that he wanted to be traded.
The Suns aren’t going to cave to those demands, especially since they have him locked in on a bargain four-year, $32 million contract. But whether Keef is on the roster for the entire 2015-16 season is almost irrelevant at this point; there’s no denying that Teletovic will automatically take a step up in fans’ eyes for giving his all off the bench as long as there’s this uncomfortable relationship between Keef and the Suns organization continues.
If Morris is traded and the Suns are unable to acquire a starting-caliber 4 in the deal, Teletovic would become the de facto starter at power forward. That would automatically boost his likability as well, so even though it’s unlikely that Morris is dealt any time soon, it’s undeniable that a large contingent of Suns fans will be pulling for him to succeed any time he checks in for Keef off the bench.
Next: No. 3