Five Potential Lance Stephenson Trades
Nov 14, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) dribbles the basketball against the Phoenix Suns forward Marcus Morris (15) in the first half at US Airways Center. The Hornets won 101-95. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
The Charlotte Hornets trade Lance Stephenson to the Phoenix Suns for Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris.
This is probably the best case scenario for Cho and the Hornets. It might also be a best case for Stephenson himself. The Suns love to run the fast-break, and their fun-and-gun ways fit the talents of a guy like Stephenson far better than the slow-it-down, grind-it-out Hornets under head coach Steve Clifford.
The downside here is that the Hornets would be exchanging a mostly worthless player for a couple of guys who can play basketball, but whom cannot control themselves.
First, the positives. Markieff Morris is a good player. A power forward who can stretch the floor and is capable of putting up 30+ points on any given night.
| Rk | Player | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marcus Morris | 13.1 | .430 | 5.4 | .363 | 2.6 | .665 | 6.5 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 14.9 |
| 2 | Markieff Morris | 14.0 | .449 | 2.5 | .328 | 3.7 | .764 | 7.7 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 16.2 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/23/2015.
You see the career numbers for each of the Morris twins per 36 minutes, and you instantly notice that both guys are much better than Stephenson. 16 points and almost eight rebounds per 36 minutes are quality numbers, plus both guys can hit a three point shot while also defending at the power forward position.
If you do not already know the reason, then you would have to be asking yourself why the Suns would ever think about trading these two for a guy like Stephenson. Well, the answer is that the Morris twins are a headache. The Phoenix Suns are an organization with a history of jettisoning players with off-the-court problems.
The Morris twins have off-the-court problems. Recently, the twins were indicted on felony aggravated assault charges for allegedly being part of a group of five men who beat up a former friend/mentor of the twins after a high school basketball game. Marcus Morris was also involved in an incident earlier this year in which he was caught on camera screaming at his coach during a timeout. He would alter apologize for his actions, but that is also worrying.
Markieff Morris, meanwhile, has become a local pariah after blaming Phoenix Suns’ fans for his lackluster effort in a 30 point blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs earlier this year. Markieff claimed that because the fans did not bring much energy to the arena, that he could not play as hard as he was capable of playing. Still, that pales in comparison to gang-beating a man outside a high school.
Stephenson is no stranger to legal problems, having been accused of pushing his girlfriend down a flight of stairs and then beating her, although those charges were eventually dropped. So the Hornets brass will have to decide if dumping Stephenson is worth the risk of acquiring players like the Morris brothers.
Next: Martell Webster