Los Angeles Lakers forward Markieff Morris and his brother, Los Angeles Clippers pro Marcus Morris, have not been seen around in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Fla.
According to Mirjam Swanson and Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register, Markieff Morris is expected to join the Lakers soon, while Marcus Morris’ status is up in the air.
“A person with knowledge of the situation told Southern California News Group that Markieff Morris, who signed with the Lakers in February as a free agent, had an excused absence but was expected to join the team soon,” Swanson and Goon reported. “It’s unknown whether Marcus Morris, his twin brother who was acquired by the Clippers two weeks earlier, has a similar arrangement with his team.”
Both brothers started the 2019-20 campaign on different teams before landing with their respective Los Angeles teams midway through the season.
Marcus Morris got shipped from the New York Knicks to the Clippers just before the 2020 trade deadline. He posted a career-high 19.6 points per game for the Knicks.
Markieff Morris, on the other hand, began the season with the Detroit Pistons. The big man and the Pistons agreed to a contract buyout, leading the way for Markieff Morris to sign with the Lakers in February.
The novel coronavirus truncated Markieff Morris’ sample size with Lakers. However, in the limited time he got to play for the Lakers, Markieff Morris put up 4.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
The Lakers will absolutely need the sharpshooter as the team is shorthanded. Guards Avery Bradley and Rajon Rondo are unable to service the Lakers due to various reasons, though there is hope Rondo could return later this season.
The Lakers and Clippers play their first game of the 2019-20 season resumption against each other on July 30.
