'There's No Personal Beef': Markieff Morris Dishes on Mavs' Kyrie Trade, History with Luka
Lost in the madness of the Dallas Mavericks trading for Kyrie Irving on Sunday is the fact that they acquired another player who could potentially be useful for their playoff push as well – Markieff Morris.
Mavs fans are likely more familiar with Markieff's twin brother, Marcus Morris, who became an arch nemesis to Luka Doncic during Dallas' playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers in 2020 and 2021.
Markieff Morris' numbers with the Brooklyn Nets weren't eye-popping, as he averaged 3.6 points and 2.2 rebounds while playing 10.6 minutes in just 27 games. However, through his 12-year career, Morris has averaged 10.7 points and 5.1 rebounds through 742 games, shooting 44.6 percent overall and 34.2 percent from deep.
When asked about a big trade, Morris gave some candid thoughts on his exit from Brooklyn.
“I was just hoping I was getting traded with [Kyrie]," Morris said. "I just wanted somewhere I could have the opportunity to play. .... just a lot going on, man. I just want to play basketball.”
Given the history between Marcus Morris and Doncic over the years, many wondered if there would be any hard feelings the other Morris twin joining the Mavs. However, Markieff insists that it's all water under the bridge.
"There’s no personal beef, no vendetta," Morris said. "That’s just how we play sometimes. We might foul the s*** out of you. It just is what it is. ... Some people might call it dirty. I just call it playing tough."
Needless to say, it should be a lot better having a Morris twin as a teammate than actually having to go up against him. Perhaps Markieff Morris can be the Mavs' version of DeShawn Stevenson from 2011. With Dallas' current lack of wing depth, he should certainly have the opportunity to carve out a role form himself.
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