Markieff Morris had one of the best 180s of the year last season. He went from spending the first half of the year with the struggling Detroit Pistons to closing with the champions. The Los Angeles Lakers did not give up a single asset to acquire Kieff. His emergence on the buyout market became found money that was cashed in for a banner.
Bringing back the versatile forward was certainly on the list of off-season priorities. As free agency winded down, the Lakers got it done. The Los Angeles Clippers wrapped up Marcus Morris early in the process but also had their eyes on a package deal. Jason Dumas, Sports Director at Kron4 News, reported the interest:
Source: Markieff Morris is looking to join his brother, Marcus with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers are interested but taking their time.
Lakers are still interested in bringing him back even with the signing of Montrezl Harrell.
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) November 22, 2020
Upon signing and going to workouts, Morris got a chance to answer free agency questions. He clarified the rumors of crossing the hall to a rival:
Markieff Morris on reports Clippers had interest: "That was just talk, man. They were trying to scare the Lakers fans."
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) December 3, 2020
It’s good to see that his heart stayed with the Lakers. Admittedly, if there was a more robust market, Kieff would’ve made some great money. Morris shot 42 percent from long range and allowed the Lakers plenty of rotation flexibility. Along with superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Morris could be in line to don the purple and gold for a while. All he has to do is duplicate last season’s tenacity and role.
