Sources: Rockets eye Suns' Morris as trade target
The Houston Rockets have trade interest in Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris, who made multiple trade demands this past offseason, according to league sources.
Sources told ESPN.com the Rockets are in the market for roster upgrades in the wake of their disappointing 10-11 start and have Morris on their list of targets, amid a growing belief around the league that the Suns are indeed prepared to finally move Morris.
The Suns initially rebuffed Morris’ summer-long quest to be dealt, with both sides pledging to try to find common ground at the start of training camp. But Morris received a DNP-Coach’s Decision on Sunday, when the Suns lost 95-93 in Memphis, which will undoubtedly signal to interested teams that Morris can be had.
The Detroit Free Press reported in October that the Detroit Pistons also have interest in Morris, whose twin brother, Marcus, has made a strong start with the Pistons under Stan Van Gundy, who acquired him via trade in July.
Sources told ESPN.com that forward Terrence Jones would likely be included if a trade for Markieff Morris came to fruition, but the options for virtually every team in the league will increase in just over a week’s time, with more than 100 players who signed new deals over the summer becoming trade eligible Dec. 15.
In the first year of a four-year, $32 million contract extension with the Suns, Morris is shooting just 39 percent from the floor. As noted in Monday’s edition of the Arizona Republic, Marcus Morris potentially added to the lingering tension surrounding his brother’s stay in Phoenix when he called Suns guard Brandon Knight “soft” after Phoenix’s overtime loss in Detroit.
In November, Marcus Morris said his brother “doesn’t look happy” as a Sun.
“He just don’t look comfortable,” Marcus Morris said at the time. “He don’t look too excited.”
“I feel like I’m enjoying where I’m at. I hope he goes somewhere where he’s happy too, so we both can play basketball, get back to playing normal.”
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.
