Phoenix Suns Are Stuck With Morris Brothers For Now

The Phoenix Suns have a very big summer ahead of them.

General manager Ryan McDonough and company will have to decide whether they want to pay big money to Brandon Knight, a guy who played only 11 games in a Suns uniform. They also have to make decisions on who to draft and who to acquire in free agency.

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There’s one decision that remains out of the hands of the organization this offseason and that is the situation with Markieff and Marcus Morris.

Earlier this week, the twins were indicted by a grand jury on felony charges for aggravated assault. The indictment comes from an incident that occurred earlier this year.

Here are some further details on the matter.

"The Morris twins are among five men charged in the alleged assault of a 36-year-old man at the Nina Mason Pulliam Recreation Center. Another of the men, Gerald Bowman, was a safety at USC who is preparing for this year’s NFL draft. Their first court appearance is scheduled for May 7."

These are certainly some serious charges that the Morris twins are facing. The charges can still be dropped or a plea deal could be reached, but if they are found guilty, Markieff and Marcus could face 5-15 years in prison under Arizona law.

Unfortunately for the Suns, they don’t have a lot of options at their disposal on what to do with the twins. It mostly hinges on what ends up happening with the charges the two face.

If the brothers face jail time, the Suns could find a way to void their contracts under the character clause which are in NBA contracts. The character clause reads as follows.

"When the player violates Paragraph 16 of the standard NBA contract. The team can void the contract when the player:Fails, refuses, or neglects to conform his personal conduct to standards of good citizenship, good moral character (defined as not engaging in acts of moral turpitude, whether or not these acts constitute a crime), and good sportsmanship."

If they don’t face jail time or if the charges are dropped down to a misdemeanor, the likelihood of their contracts being voided are highly unlikely, according to Amin Elhassan of ESPN who is also a former member of the Suns front office.

Some may suggest that the organization should outright release the twins like they did with Michael Beasley, which is also highly unlikely. There’s still a ton of money left on their deals ($52 million to be exact) and they have been productive players while in Suns uniforms, unlike Beasley.

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Trading away both of them would be very difficult as well. With their pending legal issues, they almost hold no value and even if they had no legal problems, their values across the league aren’t real high to begin with.

If the charges are dropped or even if they avoid jail time, trading away one of them would be a tad bit easier. Of course, trading away Marcus would make much more sense. Markieff is the better player between the two and he has made strides with his game in every season since he’s been in the league.

Trading away Marcus could do wonders for Markieff’s game as well. It would immediately take him out of his comfort zone, which could either help him take his game to that next level. Trading away his brother could also backfire and Markieff’s play either remains the same or tails off.

Whatever ends up happening in the court case, this organization is stuck with both players for the time being. For the fans looking for this franchise to make a rash decision with Markieff and Marcus, you are going to be waiting awhile.

It’s just not going to happen, folks.

Next: Make Or Break Season Ahead For Michael Floyd

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