Suns' Morris twins charged with felony aggravated assault

This probably isn't how the Phoenix Suns wanted their offseason to begin.

The team's twin forwards, Marcus and Marfieff Morris, have been charged with felony aggravated assault, according to a report from ESPN. The charges stem from a Jan. 24 incident at a recreation center, during which the brothers were allegedly part of a five-person group that beat a man unconscious for sending inappropriate text messages to their mother.

The Morris twins denied the encounter or even knowing the victim, Erik Hood, who claims to have mentored the brothers and supported them financially as high school students. Hood claims the text messages were of a supportive nature but may have been misinterpreted to imply a sexual relationship existed with their mother, Thomasine Morris.

Police say that the incident occurred after a basketball tournament, when the Morris twins and the three others confronted Hood, with one of the men hitting him on the head from behind. When Hood was unable to run to his car successfully, he was punched and kicked by all five men, and the assault is said to have been witnessed by a 27-year-old woman.

The other three men alleged to be in the group altercation have also been charged, including NFL-bound USC safety Gerald Bowman.

A court appearance for the accused has been scheduled for May 7. The Morris twins have declined to discuss specifics at the behest of their attorneys, while team president Lon Babby expressed disappointment that charges were filed, though he declined to comment further until the legal process plays out.

The Suns signed both brothers to sizable extensions this fall, locking each up for the next four seasons at a combined total of $51.7 million.