The Brooklyn Nets have gotten a new lease on life after the announcement that Kevin Durant will return to the team for next season after a protracted trade saga over the summer. KD staying on the team meant that Kyrie Irving would see out the final year of his contract, and the Nets make a push towards contention.
Their roster moves have had a winning intention behind them, trading a pick for veteran playoff forward Royce O’Neal. They’ve also taken a risk in acquiring TJ Warren, coming off an injury. Forwards are some of the most valuable players in the NBA, and the Nets have built a strong cast of forwards on their roster.
While many had been expecting them to sign a big man like Dwight Howard, those rumors have been proven to be false. However, reputed NBA insider Marc Stein has reported that the Nets are in advanced discussion to sign former NBA Champion Markieff Morris.
Update: The Nets have moved into advanced discussions with free agent forward Markieff Morris as Brooklyn seeks to bolster its frontcourt, league sources say.
My earlier around-the-league notes column: https://t.co/t5akSYVuKz
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 29, 2022
Markieff Morris was a crucial member of the 2020 Lakers that won a championship in the bubble. He became an important rotational member through the playoffs, allowing the Lakers to play small with Anthony Davis at the 5 and Morris at the 4.
He will bring similar positional versatility to the Nets. If they choose not to sign someone else to play alongside Nicholas Claxton in terms of a traditional big, Morris will allow the Nets to play different lineups with Ben Simmons playing as center if needed. He spent most of last season out with an injury after being pushed by Nikola Jokic but averaged 7.6 points in 17.5 minutes played last season.
Morris won’t be getting heavy minutes, but he’ll be able to stretch the floor in bench lineups alongside players like Claxton or Simmons that can’t shoot. He is a hard-nosed defender as well, and teams with championship aspirations should always look to have players with the skill set that Markieff could bring to the team.
