Markieff Morris is linking up with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the Brooklyn Nets were among the teams pursuing the hard-nosed big man.
The Brooklyn Nets appear to be standing pat with the roster they have. They remained quiet during the trade deadline, but the latest report indicates that Brooklyn had interest in Markieff Morris.
Markieff Morris had an aggressive market over the past week — with pursuits from the Thunder, Rockets, Nets, Raptors and several others. OKC received the commitment from Morris on Thursday. https://t.co/nTKdlSJSKX
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 14, 2019
Morris would have fit perfectly into Brooklyn’s system. Head coach Kenny Atkinson could use a versatile power forward to stretch defenses with his shot while playing hard-nosed defense. That’s exactly what Morris can provide.
The Nets weren’t the only team interested in Morris’ services. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the lucky team who ends up with Morris, but the Nets, Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors, among others showed interest in the gritty forward.
Despite whiffing on Morris and avoiding any major moves via trade, Brooklyn will still receive important additions to the rotation.
Caris LeVert is finally back from his gruesome injury suffered earlier this season. He looks like he hasn’t lost a step athletically and once he finds his touch at the rim, he’ll be a nightmare for opposing defenses.
Furthermore, Spencer Dinwiddie is recovering from thumb surgery and he should return at some point before the playoffs. His re-entry into the second unit should do wonders for the Nets’ depth.
Although signing Morris would have been a low-risk move, there’s no need for Nets fans to panic. The Nets should be able to make the playoffs with their current roster, potentially finishing as high as sixth in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn is already ahead of schedule and just qualifying for the playoffs is a gigantic step in the right direction. Everything that happens after a playoff berth is simply gravy.
