Suns: Trading Markieff Morris was best for Phoenix

It’s been a long time coming, but the Phoenix Suns were finally able to unload Markieff Morris just minutes before the NBA Trade Deadline. This move was what the Suns needed to do and they will ultimately benefit from this trade.

This trade, in all honesty, should have happened a long time ago. After Marcus Morris was traded, Markieff voiced his displeasure with the Suns and his desire to leave. Morris should have been traded before this season ever began, but that didn’t happen.

Instead, the front office decided to keep him and try to mend the relationship. That was a pretty daunting task as Morris and then coach Jeff Hornacek still didn’t see eye-to-eye. Hornacek benched Morris more often then not due to his lack of effort.

After Hornacek was fired, interim coach Earl Watson’s first course of action was to insert Morris back into the starting lineup and make him the “leader.”

While Morris seemed to improve his play, his poor attitude continued in the form of getting into a physical altercation with Archie Goodwin during a timeout in a game against the Golden State Warriors. This may or may not have been the final straw for the front office, but it was the final straw for a lot of fans.

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The Suns were able to rid themselves of the headache that Morris has been causing them since last season. Whether it was calling out the fans for not supporting the team, off the court legal issues, pretty much demanding a trade or fighting a teammate, Morris has been causing the Suns problems for a while now and they should consider it a victory that they were even able to find a team willing to trade for him.

It had been reported that Suns GM Ryan McDonough was seeking a young player and a first round draft pick in exchange for Morris. This would not be an easy task, as Morris hadn’t shown he was worth such a high price. But the Suns were able to find a trade partner in Washington, who will be sending a 2016 top nine protected first round draft pick, forward Kris Humphries and forward DeJuan Blair to Phoenix.

While Humphries and Blair won’t provide much, the key to the deal is the draft pick. If the Wizards finish with the 9^th or worst record in the NBA, they get to keep the pick. But if they finish with the 10^th worst record or better, that draft pick automatically goes to Phoenix. Washington currently has the 12^th worst record in the NBA. And with the talent they have on that team, they could stay right around that spot or end up with more wins.

If everything works out in the Suns’ favor, they could potentially have a top 5 pick and another mid-first round pick. If they can get another first round pick in exchange for Morris that would be a big plus. But the main focus was getting rid of Morris. Even if the draft pick doesn’t come the Suns way, this should be considered an addition by subtraction.

Next: Suns: You're a Wizard, Markieff

Morris didn’t want to be here and the fans didn’t want him here. In the end, this works out for the best for both parties.

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