Forward-thinking OKC to sign Markieff Morris
The Thunder has reportedly added what could be a key rotation player come playoff time.
The Thunder agreed to a contract with veteran forward Markieff Morris on Thursday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Morris (6-foot-10, 245 pounds) is an eight-year veteran who played 34 games for Washington this season.
Morris averaged 11.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists, and shot 33.3 percent from 3 with Washington this season before he was traded to New Orleans on Feb. 7 for a second-round pick and Wesley Johnson — a cost-cutting move by the Wizards to get under the luxury tax following a seasonending injury to All-Star point guard John Wall. The Pelicans waived Morris, affording him the opportunity to sign with a playoff contender.
Toronto, Brooklyn, Houston and the Los Angeles Lakerswere among numerous teams reportedly interested in signing the former University of Kansas product. Morris's twin brother, Marcus Morris, starts at power forward for Boston.
Morris, 29, hasn't played since Dec. 26 because of a neck injury which sidelined him for 19 games. Morris was cleared to return to play this week following a medical visit in Los Angeles, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports.
The addition of Morris would give the Thunder a valuable option at either forward spot off the bench to play alongside
second-unit linchpins Dennis Schroder and Nerlens Noel.
Patrick Patterson has come on since the beginning of 2019, shooting 46.9 percent from 3-point range on more than two attempts per game, but Morris would provide a more versatile scoring option with the ability to guard multiple positions.
The key word is “ability.” Morris hasn't played in close to two months due to injury and is coming from a Washington defense that has been among the worst in the NBA this season. The Wizards have allowed opponents to score 112.4 points per 100 possessions this season (26th in the NBA). That number jumped to 115 points per 100 possessions with Morris on the floor, the worst mark of any individual on the Wizards this season.
With the Thunder, though, Morris would be stepping into one of the best defensive teams in the league. The Thunder is currently the No. 3 defense in the NBA, allowing 104.9 points per 100 possessions.
The Wizards have played uninspired ball much of the season, particularly when Morris last suited up. They dropped to 13-22 in his final game — an 11-point loss to Detroit on Dec. 26. In November, the Thunder scored 134 points on the Wizards in Washington, with Morris on the floor for 29 minutes. Morris will be a free agent this summer and has every incentive to play well down the stretch to showcase himself to potential suitors.
The Thunder is hoping it gets the healthy and motivated version of Morris to enhance the roster as the playoffs approach.