Update: Once Markieff Morris clears waivers, he plans to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, the team will waive center DeMarcus Cousins to create a roster spot. Head coach Frank Vogel had recently said that Cousins was on track to return from an offseason ACL tear by the postseason.
Original Story Follows:
The Los Angeles Lakers may finally be making a move. After sitting out of the trade deadline and the first slate of buyout signings, the team has emerged as a frontrunner to sign Detroit Pistons forward Markieff Morris after he finalizes a buyout, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Morris will be part of an arms race in the rivalry between the Lakers and Clippers who recently traded for his twin brother, Marcus, who the Lakers had also shown interest in acquiring. His Pistons’ teammate, Reggie Jackson, just signed with the Clippers following a buyout of his own.
In 44 appearances for the Pistons this season, Morris is shooting a career-best 39.7 percent from behind the arc while averaging 11 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.
Morris mostly plays power forward at this point in his career but the 30-year-old has some ability to defend bigger wings which has been a weakness for the Lakers all year. He is not much of a ball-handler or playmaker but he could theoretically contribute offensively simply by spacing the floor for LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers will need to waive a player in order to create a roster spot if they do indeed sign Morris. Troy Daniels has often been speculated as the player who would be let go in such a scenario.
According to The Athletic, the Raptors have also shown interest in Morris. The Clippers still have a roster spot if they want to reunite the twin brothers.
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