Washington Wizards forward Markieff Morris was detained at a Philadelphia airport on Thursday for having an illegal substance in one his checked bags, and it’s time for him to readjust his life and priorities. The Wizards must consider whether or not they want to keep him on the team moving forward, because they already had a disappointing year for what their expectations were.
Markieff was also accused of assault along with his brother Marcus Morris in 2015, and both twins must try to move on from that. The Wizards were saving money for Kevin Durant this summer, but it looks like he’ll stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder after their deep playoff run. It might be more prudent for the Wizards to use the cap room Morris is taking up on another player.
Washington also has to think about if he is the type of player that new head coach Scott Brooks will get along with. Brooks will probably install a new offense next season, because the Wizards didn’t move the ball well last year. John Wall had a phenomenal season, but the rest of the team struggled to keep up with him on fast breaks.
The one clear thing is that Morris needs to mature as a player and human being. However, let’s put his personal issues aside and focus on basketball for a moment. He only averaged 12.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in 26.4 minutes per game last season, and those are low numbers for a player who should be in the prime of his career. Former head coach Randy Wittman only started Morris in 21 games out of a possible 27, and that is telling. The Wizards have needed a quality starter at the power forward position for quite a while, and Morris doesn’t appear to be the right man for that job. If he has any trade value left at this point, then the franchise should think about moving him out of town.