Hey! Psst. Hey, you! Did you know Markieff Morris wants to be traded from the Phoenix Suns?
Of course you did, because you’ve haven’t been living on Pluto these last few months, and even if you were, you’d probably still know. I’m not sure how, and I know it’s impossible on every front ever, but it’s also true.
Morris’ very public attempts to get out of Phoenix just got more public—and more direct.
Ahem:
My future will not be in Phoenix…. #thatisall #backtothegrind #FOE
— Keef Morris (@Keefmorris) September 4, 2015
Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.
Now, “#FOE” could mean one of two things. Morris is either referencing the Suns’ decision to trade his twin brother, Marcus, to the Detroit Pistons with a “Family Over Everything” shout-out, or he’s craving “Filet of Emu.” I’ll let you decide.
Markieff’s latest attempt to control this shitshow comes after some very public trolling by the Suns themselves. They wished him a happy birthday on Twitter, which either means they’re throwing shade, presumably under the orders of owner Robert Sarver, or they’re legitimately feeling guilty about how crap is going down, implying that they, in fact, have done something wrong:
Wishing a happy birthday to @keefmorris. #WeArePHX pic.twitter.com/xCEQRbdEA7
— #NashROH (@Suns) September 2, 2015
It’s tough to really get a read on the Suns, though you can’t imagine they would truly troll their own player with all the drama swirling around the two sides now. It seems like they actually want to keep him, as Paul Coro of AZ Sports drove home in a recent column:
The Suns need and want Morris. They would not stand much of a chance to replace him by trade. They would have no chance to replace him by free agency. They do not have an adequate existing roster option.
Reasonably, hard feelings should subside by the time he must report to Phoenix on Sept. 28. However, he was steaming six weeks after the trade when he went public to the Philadelphia Inquirer this month. Another six weeks might not help but being around his teammate friends again and meeting a respected frontcourt partner such as Chandler should help him recommit, even if Morris returns to being the quieter person he was before Marcus joined Phoenix.
Morris never planned to publicly lash out at the Suns, coincidentally running into a familiar reporter at a Philadelphia-area gym with small talk that became a stage for his discontent.
The expressed source of the twins’ anger was that Marcus was told he was traded while on vacation. The issues must extend beyond that because even superstars are rarely told of trades before they happen, although Markieff did call himself “the premier player of the team.”
The twins were miffed because they gave the Suns a contract extension break last year in hopes of staying together. Markieff’s salary still will jump from $3 million last season to $8 million this season. The unstated factor is that Marcus’ trade was made, in part, to clear salary-cap space for LaMarcus Aldridge, a free agency target who would have replaced Markieff. Marcus’ behavior last season, including yelling at coach Jeff Hornacek during a game, also played a role
If Markieff actually called himself the premier player on the team…LOL. It’s totally understandable to be pissed about the Marcus situation. Both brothers took what were probably perceived as discounts to stay together, and the Suns broke them up.
But that’s the business, just like whatever is happening now on either end, with all the posturing, is part of the business. There will be a resolution, most likely a trade, so long as Markieff holds his ground. There’s no way the Suns can pretend nothing is wrong if he’s still spewing vitriol on Twitter and obviously dissociating himself from the team.
Thus, if you’re a betting man or women, bet on Markieff starting the season somewhere else.
But first, bet on more bullshit.
