The New Orleans Pelicans are struggling this season to a 5-16 start and need to make a change and quickly if they want to make the playoffs, which means catching up with the rest of the Western conference. Maybe their solution will be Markieff Morris of the Phoenix Suns.
Per Yahoo Sports, the Suns and the Pelicans have been in discussions about certain trade scenarios for Morris, who is averaging 11.4 points and 5.2 rebounds in 25.2 minutes per game, with a slight decline in his per minute numbers compared to the previous two seasons. Morris has been looking for a trade since the Suns traded his twin brother, Marcus Morris, to the Detroit Pistons. He actually started the season pretty well, averaging over 14 points per game through the first two weeks, but Jeff Hornacek and him haven’t been getting along recently, and his benching with no return in the recent win over the Bulls (total of 7 minutes) might mean the end is closer for a player teams are both interested in but also slightly afraid of because of his on and off court behavior, with his pending felony aggravated assault charges being something to worry about.
The Pelicans would love to pair him with Anthony Davis in the frontcourt, and might be willing to give up Ryan Anderson for the player. Anderson, making $8.5 million this season is on the final year of his contract and although the Pelicans want him to stick around, he might be unwilling to sign for more years in New Orleans, which could make the trade go smoother. Morris is making $8 million a season, and has two more years past this one on his deal.
The Suns themselves, looking to make the playoffs for the first time since Steve Nash left to Los Angeles, are at a disappointing 9-13 after 8 losses in the last 10 games. While they’ve been reluctant to move Morris despite his demands, feeling desperate about making the playoffs and adding more stability to the frontcourt might make them pull the trigger on this move, something they wouldn’t have done a few months ago.