Still looking for a way back into the NBA title conversation, the Houston Rockets have apparently taking a liking to the Phoenix Suns’ Markieff Morris.
From ESPN.com’s Marc Stein:
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.
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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.
This certainly didn’t take long.
You kind of knew that if the Rockets didn’t regain their defensive identity and offensive cohesion immediately following Kevin McHale’s dismissal, they were going to make some moves.
But Morris doesn’t represent much of an upgrade over Terrence Jones, the supposed highlight of any deal. His numbers are basically down across the board, and he doesn’t fit the catch-and-shoot mold that would transition seamlessly into Houston’s James Harden-centric offense. Though he’s flirted with some spot-up ability in the past, he’s shooting just over 30 percent on standalone tries this season, according to NBA.com. The Rockets would basically be welcoming in another ball-dominator, further complicating their mess of an offense that already includes Harden, Dwight Howard and Ty Lawson.
At the same time, the interest in Morris seems calculated. He won’t make $9 million in a single season over the life of his current deal, which still spans another four seasons. Jones, meanwhile, should fetch more than $10 million annually in restricted free agency. The Rockets would be saving themselves money while acquiring a player who, on the most fundamental level, does a lot of the same things on offense, albeit with a less efficient three-point touch.
That’s neither incredible nor hatable logic on Houston’s part. What matters more is the residual collateral damage. A Jones-for-Morris swap doesn’t work straight up, so the Rockets will need to flip other spare parts. If they’re able to shed additional salary for next season in the same trade, preserving their flexibility for free agency, the interest becomes easy to justify.
Otherwise, this all seems like a lot of unnecessary noise.
