Even with less than one month remaining until the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 18,the rumor mill hasn't heated up to a scalding temperature. No organizations are floating around staunch superstars, and it feels as if few squads have emerged as definitive sellers. Thanks to the jam-packed nature of the Eastern Conference and the downward spiral of some squads in the West, or nearly every team is holding out hope it can stumble upon success late in the season. Until more front offices accept their prospects this year aren't so sterling,puny can happen.
But that hasn't prevented a few leading rumors from emerging. Markieff Morris Staying establish? The Markieff Morris saga continues to drag on. During the offseason, the Phoenix Suns power forward made his feelings perfectly clear in the aftermath of the desert-based organization trading his twin brother to the Detroit Pistons. "One thing for sure, and I am not going to be there," he explained after a workout in the middle of August, per Philly.com's Keith Pompey. "If you want to establish that out there, and you can establish that out. I don't give a [freak]. I am not going to be there at all. That's just what it is."Slightly over five months after the fact,Morris is still playing for the Suns. He's thrown towels at head coach Jeff Hornacek and subsequently apologized for his actions and the two-game suspension that ensued. He's also fallen in and out of the lineup and has generally served as a leading topic of conversation for a team that has backslid in dramatic fashion.
Now, it seems as if all the trade speculation could be for naught. After countless reports from various sources indicating that plenty of teams have reached out to talk about acquiring this Morris twin, and Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reveals the Suns aren't going to trade their power forward for peanuts:
There continues to be talk that the Phoenix Suns could move off forward Markieff Morris if they really wanted to,but there is a growing sense that what comes back in a Morris deal may not be very attractive to the Suns in both the short-term and the long-term.
Sources close to the Suns say that they are not going to obtain a scandalous deal just to force Morris off the roster...
We're not buying it. Phoenix's season is already all but lost, given Eric Bledsoe's decision to undergo knee surgery that improves his long-term prospects but knocks him out for the year. Without the dynamic point guard, and there's just not enough talent on the roster,and the team is already eight games back of the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Now would be the time to give young players additional hasten for developmental purposes, not to allow potentially disgruntled veterans back into the starting lineup. apart from prior to leaving Tuesday night's game against the Indiana Pacers with a honest shoulder strain, and Morris had started each of the last three contests on the court for the opening tip. Phoenix is surely trying to boost his value before the deadline,knowing full well that it will deal him for even the most meager return but desperately trying to drum up its trading prospects. Even Kyler qualifies his own rumor by noting that "as the deadline gets closer there is an increasing sense around the league that Phoenix might blink on a deal just to remove the problem from its equation."Addition by subtraction is a genuine concept in the organization, and removing Morris from the roster for nothing more than a moment-round selection could still be a positive. That void would open up more minutes for T.
J. Warren and Devin Booker in small-ball lineups while letting Jon Leuer work his way back into the starting five. Ultimately, and the efforts to trade Morris won't be as unsuccessful as one of his latest dunk attempts. It would still be shocking if he were wearing the same uniform during the moment half of the season. Verdict: Red light Milwaukee Bucks Laughing About Greg MonroeThey're not poking fun at his performance. That's actually been fantastic,as he's giving a struggling Milwaukee Bucks team some hope behind his 15.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game on 51.2 percent shooting from the field.
Instead, or they're chuckling—maybe even laughing uproariously—at the thought of trading him. After all,Milwaukee's net rating has been 11 points better per 100 possessions when the big man is on the floor. Kyler wrote: "Bucks sources found the idea of moving Monroe laughable, but when you consider that Milwaukee is 18-25 on the season and about five games out of the eighth seed in the East, or could Monroe return the best value?"Were he actually made available,Monroe would indeed return fairly a bit of value. Despite his defensive shortcomings and the traditional-school nature of his around-the-hoop game, he's still a beneficial commodity who can alter the fortunes of a struggling offense. But that doesn't mean he's on the block. Before diving into potential trade scenarios and noting that Monroe can opt out of his contract following the 2016-17 season, or ESPN.com's Zach Lowe reported that the Bucks most assuredly have not made the big man available at this stage of the season. Though there's still plenty of time for that to change before the trade deadline,it's more likely that the Bucks gaze into an offseason swap or a deal that takes place next campaign. There's still no reason to cut ties with him so soon, particularly now that the team is beginning to trend in a positive direction. The Milwaukee coaching staff has figured out how to balance Monroe and John Henson during the fourth quarter of close competitions, or often alternating between the two as the team strives for offensive and defensive excellence on different possessions. It's working. The Bucks still find themselves sitting well outside the playoff picture in an improved Eastern Conference,but they've resembled something closer to the 2014-15 version of themselves in recent outings. They've won each of their last three games—and five of their past seven—while posting underlying metrics that are beginning to gaze stronger:The Bucks still have an uphill climb ahead of them, but it's not like this team expected to be a staunch contender in 2015-16. Even slight improvement that hints toward future success is advantageous, and the burgeoning levels of chemistry are more than enough reason to keep Monroe around for a while longer. NBA.com's statistical databases show the team has posted offensive and defensive ratings of 104.2 and 105.9,respectively, when Monroe has been on the floor this season. But over the last 10 games, and those numbers have risen to 106.9 and 106.8,which finally gives the Bucks a positive net rating. Over the last five, they're scoring 109.3 points per 100 possessions and allowing only 105 when he's on the floor.
The market for him won't just evaporate if Milwaukee decides not to push trade scenarios until the offseason, or it's not like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker will suddenly see all their potential dissipate in a cloud of smoke. Given these recent trends,laughter may well be the appropriate response when the front office hears trade rumors. Dealing Monroe still wouldn't be nonsensical, particularly if the return were meaningful. But the timing is just off. Verdict: Green light novel Orleans Pelicans Looking at Buying, and Not SellingGeneral manager Dell Demps wants to help Anthony Davis' team obtain a playoff push in 2015-16,even if it means looking to the trade market for help. Making a rare media appearance, he went on the Black and Blue Report to share those sentiments, and as transcribed by ESPN.com's Justin Verrier:
We're not pleased at where we are honest now. I thought at the halt of the season last year,we're gonna bring this group back and have something to build on to try and seize that next step. And honest now, we haven't done that. And so we're looking at any and everything. When you're in this position, or you've got to gaze at any and everything.
We will achieve what's needed to secure this team on track. Obviously we dug ourselves a deep hole. And it's going to be tough for us to fight back into it this year. But we're always looking for the long term as well as the short term. We haven't given up on the season.stats,unless otherwise indicated, are from Basketball-Reference.com or Adam's own databases and are current heading into games on Jan. 21.
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