Markieff Morris To Provide Much-Needed Depth For Brooklyn Nets

Agreeing to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, veteran forward Markieff Morris could have a bigger impact in Brooklyn than many would anticipate.

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are still a part of the Brooklyn Nets roster heading into the 2022-23 season and both All-Stars are committed to the team right now, which means one thing for the Nets – It is time to try and compete for a championship.

Who knows how much longer both Durant and Irving will be in Brooklyn given all of the drama that has surrounded this organization over the last few seasons, but trying to capitalize on their small championship window this upcoming season is all management can do.

As a result, the Nets have begun filling out the rest of their roster ahead of training camp and on Tuesday, they agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with veteran forward Markeiff Morris.

Free agent Markieff Morris has agreed to a one-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets, pending physical exam, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 30, 2022

A champion with the Lakers in 2020 and now heading into his 12th NBA season, Morris is an experienced player that understands what it means to win in this league. He may no be the difference in the Nets winning a title this upcoming season, but this signing provides a lot of stability on this roster.

Markieff Morris has been through a lot in his career, as he has played for the Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder and most recently, the Miami Heat.

Everywhere he has played, Morris has been a fighter on both ends of the floor and has always been regarded as a burst of energy for his team whether he is in the starting rotation or coming off-the-bench like he has for the Heat and Lakers the last couple of years.

Besides the fact that he is an experienced player, Morris can still contribute and be a factor for the Nets assuming he is on their 15-man roster when the season begins. Last season he may have only played in 17 games due to injury, but Markieff Morris still averaged 7.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and shot 47.4% from the floor.

Looking at the Nets roster and their projected depth chart, it was clear to see that adding another versatile forward that could play either in the paint or out on the perimeter was a must.

As Kevin Durant said earlier this offseason on social media, “It’s a wings league.”

It’s a wings league…

— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) June 24, 2022

Patty Mills, Edmond Sumner, Kessler Edwards, T.J. Warren, Yuta Watanabe, Nicolas Claxton and Markieff Morris all got new contracts with the Nets this offseason. Of these seven players, four of them can play out on the wing and everyone other than Claxton plays out on the perimeter.

Finding players who can score and play off-the-ball around Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving was clearly the point of emphasis for the Nets front-office in free agency this offseason, which is why this most recent move to bring in Morris makes a ton of sense.

Playing with other All-Stars around the league throughout his career and being on the back-half of his career, Markieff Morris is exactly the kind of player the Nets need in their locker room. He gives it his all on the floor and has always been well perceived off-the-court by his teammates, which is why Morris joining the Nets is a very underrated move made this offseason.