Getty Markieff Morris (left)
Of the many wrong turns taken by Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka since he took over as the head of the team’s front office, the approach to big men has been among the most regrettable. When the Lakers won an NBA championship in 2020, during the Orlando bubble playoffs, the team wrapped the season with an effective, versatile veteran trio of JaVale McGee, Markieff Morris and Dwight Howard.
Since then, the center spot has mostly unraveled, as Pelinka unwisely traded away a draft pick to dump McGee and sign Marc Gasol, who proved to be ineffective, then signed Andre Drummond after he was waived in 2021. Drummond did not help much, either, nor did bringing back Howard last year or the addition of washed-up DeAndre Jordan.
All the while, McGee has continued to be effective, playing for the Suns last year and signing a three-year deal with the Mavericks this summer. And there’s Morris, who will also now get a chance to get some run with a contender—on Tuesday, he signed a one-year deal to join the Brooklyn Nets next season, and could potentially find himself with a starting role there.
Free agent Markieff Morris has agreed to a one-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets, pending physical exam, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Morris Contributed to Lakers’ 2020 Championship
Morris’ most prominent recent contribution came in 2020, when he helped the Lakers to the NBA championship in the Orlando bubble. He drew starting assignments as a smallball center in Games 4 and 5 of the conference semifinals against the Rockets, and the Lakers won both. He has averaged 10.9 points and 5.2 rebounds (with 34.1% 3-point shooting) in his career.
One thing that figures to help Morris’ case with the Nets is that he is known for his experience level and his willingness to lead in the locker room. That was an important feature of his tenure with the Lakers, when he was known to stand up even to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Lakers did not have that kind of player last year, when the season went off the rails after the addition of guard Russell Westbrook.
“If you’re signing Markieff at this point you’re doing it because you need that toughness that he brings, that grit,” one Eastern Conference GM told Heavy Sports. “He can fill any role. He can start, he can come off the bench, he is going to be professional about it at this point. He is a good option as a small-ball center, the Lakers used him that way in the bubble (in 2020) and it worked. He will be 33 years old, he just wants to win. The big concern is, can he hit the 3 consistently? That’s been the question with him.”
The Lakers have changed tack with big men this summer, opting for young and unproven bigs like Damian Jones and Thomas Bryant in the middle.
Morris Suffered Whiplash in Jokic Altercation
Morris spent last season with Miami, but suffered a severe whiplash injury after he was shoved by Nuggets star Nikola Jokic in a loss on November 8, the 10th game of the season. The play was controversial because it began with a shove on Jokic, which drew a $50,000 fine.
Jokic and Markieff Morris both got ejected after exchanging fouls during Nuggets-Heat.
Morris was hurt but walked off the floor under his own power.
He returned in March for seven games, but only made one brief appearance in the Heat’s postseason run to the Eastern Conference finals.
“Markieff Morris, it was a weird season for him, he had the whiplash from the (Nikola) Jokic altercation and he was not 100%,” the GM said of Morris. “He did not get a chance to play there. But when it comes to toughness, experience, all of that, he is someone they could use, someone they could sign on a minimum deal and probably get pretty good value.”