[BleedGreen808Participant]

The Wizards loss to the Pistons tonight 112-99 officially eliminating the Wizards from the playoff race.  As a result they will give up their 1st round pick which is currently tied with Houston for the 12th pick.   His contract is a decent 3/24mil going forward with the cap going up the next couple years.  In 25 games with Washington he averaged 11.8pts and 6rebs per game.  

So my question is was it worth trading the pick for Markieff Morris?  If the Wizards knew that they would not make the playoffs would they still make the trade considering drafting a player comes with the unknown of how the player will pan out?  

[ExumInfernoParticipant]

 Does he still have the criminal case in Arizona, that could make it worse for Washington.

Terrible trade.  A lotto pick for someone the other team was hoping would just go away.  They also sent useful players to match salary.

Bad trade, and it does hurt the salary room as well, for Durant and other possible free agents.

 

Compare what the Pistons gave up for T Harris, ending deals and no pick, Washington spent more on a worse player, and worse baggage by  a lot compared to most.

Then again, maybe the Wizards move into the top 3 and keep the pick, and everyone will forget the trade happened.

 

 

 

 

 

[ExumInfernoParticipant]

 Does he still have the criminal case in Arizona, that could make it worse for Washington.

Terrible trade.  A lotto pick for someone the other team was hoping would just go away.  They also sent useful players to match salary.

Bad trade, and it does hurt the salary room as well, for Durant and other possible free agents.

 

Compare what the Pistons gave up for T Harris, ending deals and no pick, Washington spent more on a worse player, and worse baggage by  a lot compared to most.

Then again, maybe the Wizards move into the top 3 and keep the pick, and everyone will forget the trade happened.

 

 

 

 

 

[ChicagoCaseyParticipant]

 Heck no the Wizards should regret this trade. People have to remember that the draft is not guaranteed and that this draft is not really a good draft, lot will say this draft is a Ben Simmons/Brandon Ingram then everyone else draft. Also, you have to remember that the pick is top 9 guaranteed, which is a great get for Washington. See, it’s this simple, it’s Markieff Morris vs. a top 9 protected lottery pick in a weak draft class.

And let’s look at Markieff Morris since he came to Washington. You are right, Morris average just 12 points and 6 rebounds per game, but that’s being shallow w/ the stats. He started off really slow when he came to Washington. In the last 5 games he is averaging 18 points and 7 rebounds per game, in the last 10 games he is averaging 15 points and 7 rebounds per game, and last month (March) he average 13 points and 6 rebounds per game in 26 minutes w/ 38 percent shooting from 3 point land. It’s really selling him short by stating his overall stats when he came to Washington when he got better every month he came to the team.

You have to ask yourself would you rather have an unproven player that’s not guaranteed to have te career that Markieff Morris have had and the talent that he possess or have Markieff Morris w/ a very cheap contract and seems to be doing very well in Washington.

And "ExumInferno" this would not impact salary due to the fact that Markieff Morris is on a team friendly deal and the fact that the cap is jumping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ChicagoCaseyParticipant]

 Heck no the Wizards should regret this trade. People have to remember that the draft is not guaranteed and that this draft is not really a good draft, lot will say this draft is a Ben Simmons/Brandon Ingram then everyone else draft. Also, you have to remember that the pick is top 9 guaranteed, which is a great get for Washington. See, it’s this simple, it’s Markieff Morris vs. a top 9 protected lottery pick in a weak draft class.

And let’s look at Markieff Morris since he came to Washington. You are right, Morris average just 12 points and 6 rebounds per game, but that’s being shallow w/ the stats. He started off really slow when he came to Washington. In the last 5 games he is averaging 18 points and 7 rebounds per game, in the last 10 games he is averaging 15 points and 7 rebounds per game, and last month (March) he average 13 points and 6 rebounds per game in 26 minutes w/ 38 percent shooting from 3 point land. It’s really selling him short by stating his overall stats when he came to Washington when he got better every month he came to the team.

You have to ask yourself would you rather have an unproven player that’s not guaranteed to have te career that Markieff Morris have had and the talent that he possess or have Markieff Morris w/ a very cheap contract and seems to be doing very well in Washington.

And "ExumInferno" this would not impact salary due to the fact that Markieff Morris is on a team friendly deal and the fact that the cap is jumping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[OhCanada-Participant]

 No they should not at all.

 Thete were many teams offering there 1st round pick Washington just outbid them. Morris has played great for them. The team is at a point where they need to show Wall they care about winning they cannot be bringing along more young talent they are a veteran group for the most part and they are dedicated to adding talented players around Wall.

 This is a weak draft and the only PF’s that could be added that are likely within reach and maybe somewhat ready are Rabb, Ellenson, and Sabonis who could very well all be gone and although I like all three as prospects Markieff is a proven commodity and those three have not proven they can be solid NBA starters yet. Im sure none of them will be as productive as Morris next year either. After those guys there’s only projects like Maker, Chriss, Skal.

[OhCanada-Participant]

 No they should not at all.

 Thete were many teams offering there 1st round pick Washington just outbid them. Morris has played great for them. The team is at a point where they need to show Wall they care about winning they cannot be bringing along more young talent they are a veteran group for the most part and they are dedicated to adding talented players around Wall.

 This is a weak draft and the only PF’s that could be added that are likely within reach and maybe somewhat ready are Rabb, Ellenson, and Sabonis who could very well all be gone and although I like all three as prospects Markieff is a proven commodity and those three have not proven they can be solid NBA starters yet. Im sure none of them will be as productive as Morris next year either. After those guys there’s only projects like Maker, Chriss, Skal.

[esperanzafleet69Participant]

 i agree with this completely. not to mention, look at the 3/4 spot for washington. not the best. 

[esperanzafleet69Participant]

 i agree with this completely. not to mention, look at the 3/4 spot for washington. not the best. 

[Hype Machine]

 I think it was a fair trade. 

Wiz really needed the frontcourt depth. Decent contract.

I doubt they regret it and I wouldnt think Morris is on the trade block either.

 

 

 

[Hype Machine]

 I think it was a fair trade. 

Wiz really needed the frontcourt depth. Decent contract.

I doubt they regret it and I wouldnt think Morris is on the trade block either.

 

 

 

[ZouldiersParticipant]

 Nah, The Wizards needed Morris to make the playoff push than the lotto pick in a weak draft. Plus, they have Kelly Oubre who I think they will try to develop over the summer to be a serviceable player for the Wizards and the kid has more potential than anyone else in that 12-14 range in this years draft so yeah. Oubre more than makes up for that lotto pick.

[ZouldiersParticipant]

 Nah, The Wizards needed Morris to make the playoff push than the lotto pick in a weak draft. Plus, they have Kelly Oubre who I think they will try to develop over the summer to be a serviceable player for the Wizards and the kid has more potential than anyone else in that 12-14 range in this years draft so yeah. Oubre more than makes up for that lotto pick.

[Jr. ROXASParticipant]

No they should not. I mean, if you think about it, Morris is the PERFECT PF you’d want to pair with Wall. Can shoot the 3 and catch lobs at the same time. Also with all the open looks Wall generates, it’s good to have a 3pt threat like Morris who could also attack closeouts well. Also, Morris has a underrated post up game that can take pressure of off Wall and Beal to score the ball every single time.

Now looking at the draft, the big men that could possibly fall to the draft range of WAS that they might take are Sabonis, Rabb, Chriss, Ellenson and Brice Johnson. All those players lack at least one attribute that Morris already brings to the table.

Sabonis is the one prospect out of all that I MIGHT take over Morris, because his post skills and rebounding are simply elite. But he doesn’t have the 3-ball like Morris, or his athleticsm which are very important when playing with a PG like Wall. 

Ellenson has the 3-ball like Morris (albeit less consistent), but lacks the pop to catch oops, or the strength to match-up stronger PF. Morris has underrated strength, especially his upper body, and can guard post players pretty well.

Chriss is the closest thing to Morris out of all the prospects, but for a team who is not rebuilding and is always in the hunt for the playoffs, I’d rather take a developed 5 year player over a player who may take 2-3 years to develop into a player like Morris. 

Rabb I’d say is a better defender than Morris, but really, he’s not the best player to pair with Wall or Gortat. He takes jumpers but they are definitely not his calling card, and Wall likes PFs who want to shoot everytime they are open. Rabb and Gortat will clog up the paint, which I think will drive Wall crazy.

Brice Johnson can catch lobs from Wall, which Wall would definitely like, but does not have a 3-ball, or a consistent mid-range jumper. All in all, Morris is just the best player to pair with Wall and the whole Wizards team given his versatility. He also has a very cheap contract. He’d be better next year when he gets a lot more reps with the team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jr. ROXASParticipant]

No they should not. I mean, if you think about it, Morris is the PERFECT PF you’d want to pair with Wall. Can shoot the 3 and catch lobs at the same time. Also with all the open looks Wall generates, it’s good to have a 3pt threat like Morris who could also attack closeouts well. Also, Morris has a underrated post up game that can take pressure of off Wall and Beal to score the ball every single time.

Now looking at the draft, the big men that could possibly fall to the draft range of WAS that they might take are Sabonis, Rabb, Chriss, Ellenson and Brice Johnson. All those players lack at least one attribute that Morris already brings to the table.

Sabonis is the one prospect out of all that I MIGHT take over Morris, because his post skills and rebounding are simply elite. But he doesn’t have the 3-ball like Morris, or his athleticsm which are very important when playing with a PG like Wall. 

Ellenson has the 3-ball like Morris (albeit less consistent), but lacks the pop to catch oops, or the strength to match-up stronger PF. Morris has underrated strength, especially his upper body, and can guard post players pretty well.

Chriss is the closest thing to Morris out of all the prospects, but for a team who is not rebuilding and is always in the hunt for the playoffs, I’d rather take a developed 5 year player over a player who may take 2-3 years to develop into a player like Morris. 

Rabb I’d say is a better defender than Morris, but really, he’s not the best player to pair with Wall or Gortat. He takes jumpers but they are definitely not his calling card, and Wall likes PFs who want to shoot everytime they are open. Rabb and Gortat will clog up the paint, which I think will drive Wall crazy.

Brice Johnson can catch lobs from Wall, which Wall would definitely like, but does not have a 3-ball, or a consistent mid-range jumper. All in all, Morris is just the best player to pair with Wall and the whole Wizards team given his versatility. He also has a very cheap contract. He’d be better next year when he gets a lot more reps with the team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PurpleMonkeyDishwasherParticipant]

 The #12 pick wouldn’t be too much for Morris.  Morris has one this that no draft pick has and that is NBA experience and 8 million per year is cheap for a starting caliber power forward.  It certainly would help Washington if Morris would finally settle in and enjoy his career and stay off of TMZ.

[PurpleMonkeyDishwasherParticipant]

 The #12 pick wouldn’t be too much for Morris.  Morris has one this that no draft pick has and that is NBA experience and 8 million per year is cheap for a starting caliber power forward.  It certainly would help Washington if Morris would finally settle in and enjoy his career and stay off of TMZ.

[IlladelphParticipant]

It was an interesting situation because Morris was reviled in Phoenix, so Phoenix really wanted him to be gone.  Since he is a legit NBA PF, and he has a reasonable contract, a lot of teams were willing to overlook the fact that he was a team cancer in PHX, and the criminal stuff.  I think PHX could have traded him for even more than they got but his trade value was diminshed because of all of his selfish, boneheaded antics.  I thought it was smart for PHX to play him a ton, and try to sell him as a team "leader" leading up to the trade.  Put some lipstick on that pig. 

In retrospect the trade was win-win I think.  It was a bigger win for PHX since they got to offload Morris without eating the contract, and they got a nice lotto pick in return.  It was a smaller win for Washington because Morris wasn’t a game changer as far as making the playoffs this year.  Morris may play better the next couple of years though since he is on a better team with bigger stars, and since he will need to play well and be a good citizen if he wants to land that big 3rd NBA contract.

I have seen way worse trades than this.

[IlladelphParticipant]

It was an interesting situation because Morris was reviled in Phoenix, so Phoenix really wanted him to be gone.  Since he is a legit NBA PF, and he has a reasonable contract, a lot of teams were willing to overlook the fact that he was a team cancer in PHX, and the criminal stuff.  I think PHX could have traded him for even more than they got but his trade value was diminshed because of all of his selfish, boneheaded antics.  I thought it was smart for PHX to play him a ton, and try to sell him as a team "leader" leading up to the trade.  Put some lipstick on that pig. 

In retrospect the trade was win-win I think.  It was a bigger win for PHX since they got to offload Morris without eating the contract, and they got a nice lotto pick in return.  It was a smaller win for Washington because Morris wasn’t a game changer as far as making the playoffs this year.  Morris may play better the next couple of years though since he is on a better team with bigger stars, and since he will need to play well and be a good citizen if he wants to land that big 3rd NBA contract.

I have seen way worse trades than this.

[Taylor Gang MikeParticipant]

 They need to develop Oubre.. Kid has so much potential 

[Taylor Gang MikeParticipant]

 They need to develop Oubre.. Kid has so much potential 

[ballislyfe25Participant]

Haven’t seen much of him but maybe a little JR Smith to his game? Better defensively? 

[ballislyfe25Participant]

Haven’t seen much of him but maybe a little JR Smith to his game? Better defensively? 

[TheGuyParticipant]

 I think he would be a Trevor Ariza player at his best. Very good athelete, has the tools be a good defender. Not much of a playmaker on offense, and his basketball IQ is pretty low, but if he develops a jumper he could a good role player.

[TheGuyParticipant]

 I think he would be a Trevor Ariza player at his best. Very good athelete, has the tools be a good defender. Not much of a playmaker on offense, and his basketball IQ is pretty low, but if he develops a jumper he could a good role player.

[TheGuyParticipant]

 I would if I were Washington. While a late lotto pick (in what is considered a weak draft) isn’t anyways going to net you a good player, I would still want it going forward over Morris for a few reasons. 

-While drafting outside of the top 10 can be crapshoot, we have seen plenty of very good or decent players drafted. Look last season, the Suns drafted Booker late lotto and he’s already a productive player who looks like a future all star. Kawai, Butler, Greek freak, Rodney Hood, Bobby Portis, McDermott, Gobert, Fournier, Vucevik, Reggie Jackson. Tobias Harris are all recent noatable guys drafted out of the top 10.

-So this idea that a pick out of the top 10 isn’t going to turn into anything, is a farse. If you are good at scouting and drafting there a plently of quality players to be found out of the top 10. I’d much rather have the potential to draft a possible steal than be stuck with Markieff Morris, who outside of 1 decent season on a medicore team, hasn’t done much

-Even if Phoenix doesn’t end up drafting a good player with the pick, I promise you there will be a few quality players that will be available there that will be better than Morris.

 

 

[TheGuyParticipant]

 I would if I were Washington. While a late lotto pick (in what is considered a weak draft) isn’t anyways going to net you a good player, I would still want it going forward over Morris for a few reasons. 

-While drafting outside of the top 10 can be crapshoot, we have seen plenty of very good or decent players drafted. Look last season, the Suns drafted Booker late lotto and he’s already a productive player who looks like a future all star. Kawai, Butler, Greek freak, Rodney Hood, Bobby Portis, McDermott, Gobert, Fournier, Vucevik, Reggie Jackson. Tobias Harris are all recent noatable guys drafted out of the top 10.

-So this idea that a pick out of the top 10 isn’t going to turn into anything, is a farse. If you are good at scouting and drafting there a plently of quality players to be found out of the top 10. I’d much rather have the potential to draft a possible steal than be stuck with Markieff Morris, who outside of 1 decent season on a medicore team, hasn’t done much

-Even if Phoenix doesn’t end up drafting a good player with the pick, I promise you there will be a few quality players that will be available there that will be better than Morris.

 

 

[HitsterParticipant]

 As a Phoenix fan, I liked Morris as a player, he’s not a superstar but he gives you nice shooting options, is durable solid player. His contract for a guy who is regular starter or can be top big from the bench is reasonable and it has 3 years to run so you don’t lose him via FA soon. Also last year of the deal he has expiring contract value.

Don’t forget Nene is a FA this season and at veteran stage so the Wizards are probably needing to replace him as I think Nene will look to get on a real contender to try for a title and he is the sort of high character guy a lot of teams contending would look for.

The protection on the pick is solid, Poeltl at 12th on the current mocks did look a nice fit for Washington perhaps. But as they are a youngish team trying to contend I feel the trade was fair for both sides, Washington got a solid squad player and Phoenix got some nice extra draft options.

 

 

[HitsterParticipant]

 As a Phoenix fan, I liked Morris as a player, he’s not a superstar but he gives you nice shooting options, is durable solid player. His contract for a guy who is regular starter or can be top big from the bench is reasonable and it has 3 years to run so you don’t lose him via FA soon. Also last year of the deal he has expiring contract value.

Don’t forget Nene is a FA this season and at veteran stage so the Wizards are probably needing to replace him as I think Nene will look to get on a real contender to try for a title and he is the sort of high character guy a lot of teams contending would look for.

The protection on the pick is solid, Poeltl at 12th on the current mocks did look a nice fit for Washington perhaps. But as they are a youngish team trying to contend I feel the trade was fair for both sides, Washington got a solid squad player and Phoenix got some nice extra draft options.

 

 

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