Washington Wizards: Grading Markeiff Morris Trade
The Washington Wizards have acquired forward Markieff Morris, according to Adrian Wojnarowoski of The Vertical. The Phoenix Suns received DeJuan Blair, Kris Humphries and a future first-round pick.
It was a major move towards making a run to the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards are 23-28 this season, as they have been riddled with injuries to players such as Bradley Beal and Marcin Gortat. And they have definitely not been the same team they were a year ago when they made they playoffs.
The Wizards needed a stretch big to give them a chance to compete with top teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors. And relying on veteran players such as Gortat and Nene to guard the perimeter would be a tall task for them to take.
I give this trade a B+. To say I was surprised by this move would be a vast overstatement because I proposed that the Wizards trade for Morris in one of my previous articles. Morris is not a superstar player but he is a versatile forward that can add more depth to the team. He will create space on the floor for John Wall and Beal to operate. It also helps Wall to be able to have another player to distribute the ball to.
With the trade, the Wizards also get a young talent to help bolster their frontcourt. Playing small ball is all the rage this season if you want to have any chance at beating the Golden State Warriors.
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Morris needed a change of scenery from the Phoenix Suns ever since his brother Marcus Morris was traded from the team. His time was spent and a change was imminent. He will also be playing with former teammates in Gortat and Jared Dudley.
Although Morris has been in recent news for on and off the court antics, his production has gone up statistically. Since the move to put Earl Watson in as interim head coach, Morris has averaged 20 points and seven rebounds a game.
The Wizards are currently in 10th place in the East and only four games out of eighth place. With Morris now on the team, it adds a breath of fresh air for him and the team’s hope of getting back to being one of the East’s best teams.