NBA Trade Rumors: Star Player Demands Trade, Gets Denied By Team

NBA trade rumors reveal a pretty good player might now be available. Markieff Morris wants a trade from the Phoenix Suns, but is only getting static on the other end of the line. A report from CBS Sports states that he already made the request of the front office, but hasn’t made any headway in getting out of Phoenix. This is despite his own claims that he won’t be starting the regular season with the Suns.

It was earlier in the NBA offseason that the Suns dealt Marcus Morris as part of a package of players to the Detroit Pistons. The team was trying to dump salary in order to pursue LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency. It didn’t work out, but the Suns did end up signing Tyson Chandler instead. In the process of the moves, though, the team may have alienated Markieff Morris, who was not keen on the team trading his brother.

These NBA trade rumors couldn’t come at a worse time for the Phoenix Suns, as the team is trying to turn a corner to becoming a contender this year. In addition to adding Chandler as a cornerstone on defense and in the department of leadership, the front office and coaching staff really needs Markieff Morris to take another step forward. He is too important to the team to simply get dealt, but having him pout isn’t going to help the team either.

Last season, Morris started all 82 games for the Suns, averaging 31.5 minutes a night. He put up 15.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Those numbers were exactly what the Suns needed from the power forward position, especially on a guard-heavy team. Life is about to get a lot easier for Morris if he sticks around, as Chandler can take care of the low post and the offensive glass very well. Having the tandem could serve as a huge advantage to the shooters that the Suns have on the roster.

It’s clear that the Suns made a mistake by trading away Marcus Morris, as the overall savings on his contract aren’t worth the grief that Markieff Morris is causing the team. At the same time, the 26-year-old power forward just needs to get down to business and stop worrying about a deal. These NBA trade rumors may evolve a bit further if Morris doesn’t back off his demands, especially since he is a talent that other teams would love to acquire. At the same time, the Suns can’t really afford to lose him.

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