Markieff Morris on future with Suns: 'One thing for sure, I am not going to be there'
Markieff Morris wants to be anything but a member of the Phoenix Suns in 2015-16.
Rumors began circulating late last week that the 25-year-old wanted nothing to do with the franchise, and wasn't willing to communicate with players or team personnel. At that point, we had yet to hear from the horse's mouth, leaving the door open for the reports to be proven wrong.
Talking to Philly.com's Keith Pompey on Tuesday, Morris made it clear that he has every intention not to suit up for the Suns next season.
"One thing for sure, I am not going to be there," Morris said after working out at Competitive Edge Sports in King of Prussia.
"If you want to put that out there, you can put that out ... I am not to going to be there at all."
Does this mean Morris is just going to sit out and risk being suspended by the team without pay? Not a chance.
"I've got to show up. No question." Morris adds. "You can't do that. I will be a professional. Don't get me wrong."
"But it won't get that far. ... I'm going to be out before then, should be."
Markieff's twin brother Marcus was a victim of the Suns looking to create cap space to try and land high-profile free agent LaMarcus Aldridge this offseason. Marcus, along with Reggie Bullock and Danny Granger, were dealt to the Detroit Pistons, clearing roughly $8.4 million off the books.
Suffice it to say, Marcus was not at all happy with the move, calling the Suns' decision a "slap in the face" since they didn't make him aware that they were trading him ahead of time.
Markieff and Marcus signed four-year contract extensions in September for $32 million and $20 million, respectively, with the twins planning on playing out the remainder of their careers side by side.
In spite of the hurt that came from seeing his brother moved, Markieff is not requesting a trade because of it. He's simply disappointed in the way the organization went about pulling the trigger.
Even so, Markieff wants to make sure he leaves Phoenix on relatively peaceful terms.
“It’s just when you get to a point in your life, you just need to move on,” Morris said. “That’s what I need to do for my career, my family, myself. I just need to move on.”
In all 82 outings last season, Markieff averaged career highs in points (15.3), rebounds (6.2), and steals (1.2), shooting 46.5 percent from the field in 31.5 minutes per game.