After trade to Lakers, ex-Kansas Jayhawk Markieff Morris defends Luka Doncic
Former University of Kansas power forward Markieff Morris of the Dallas Mavericks was in bed at 1 a.m. Sunday when he received word via cell phone that he’d been included in a trade.
Destination unknown.
“(The Mavericks) told me I’d been traded. That was it. I cut the TV on like everybody else,” said Morris, who was included in the shocking Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis deal between the Mavs and Los Angeles Lakers.
“I think I had the same reaction everybody had. ‘Is this real?’ I was definitely in shock,” Morris continued. “My agent sent me a text … it was from Shams (Charania of ESPN who broke news of the deal) on Twitter. I was in a whirlwind. I saw it was Luka. I was like, ‘Am I reading this right? What’s going on?’ I went back to bed.
“It is what it is. If they can trade Luka they can trade anybody,” Morris added, speaking to reporters at his introductory Lakers news conference in Los Angeles.
The 35-year-old Morris, who won a world championship with the Lakers in 2020, on Tuesday spoke in support of the 25-year-old Doncic, who has been subject to reports he’s not in great physical condition.
“I feel like there’s some sort of disrespect for him,” Morris said at the news conference. “Obviously he thought he was going to be a Maverick for life and we all thought that he would have a statue next to Dirk (Nowitzki) in Dallas. I know he was sad about (the trade). I know he didn’t feel good. But a couple weeks will go past and obviously you’re in that purple and gold and everything changes.”
Morris is a big Doncic supporter.
“He’s a great guy, super low maintenance, doesn’t need much,” Morris said. “One of the only guys I’ve been on a team with that will play through any injury if he can get on the court. I hear stuff about him not being in shape, but if you can go to an NBA game and get 30, 15 and 10 like it’s nothing, then I don’t really know what shape is. I’m confused at that part. You’ll see it really soon. You’ll make the suggestion if he’s in shape or not.”
Morris, who has played for eight teams in a 14-year NBA career, hopes to be rewarded with some meaningful minutes during his second go-round as a teammate of LeBron James.
“It’s going to be exciting. You’ve got two of the best players in the world,” Morris said. “Obviously two top-5 players; LeBron, the best in the league. It’s going to be super exciting. I think it’ll be easy (for Doncic and James). Both are used to playing with another dominant player. Luka did it with Kyrie (Irving, Mavs) and LeBron with everybody (in his career).”
Morris has something in common with Doncic. Both recently purchased a house in Dallas. They seemed entrenched in a city where the Mavs reached the NBA Finals last year.
Morris said he told Doncic: “There’s nothing like being in the purple and gold. It’s night and day from Dallas. Get ready for that.”
“Luka knows what it takes,” Morris added. “We were just in the Finals last year. Obviously we lost. LeBron is going to boost him up a lot when it comes to how to play the game, how to make the game simpler for your teammates, how to make the game simpler for yourself. It will give (Doncic) the extra level of being around the best player in the league.”
Morris said at this stage of his career, L.A. is probably the only city he’d agree to play in besides Dallas.
“I’ve been traded a couple of times. This is a business. You can be here one day, gone tomorrow. I guess everything happens for a reason,” Morris said. “I came to L.A. in the COVID season, both COVID seasons. I didn’t get the (full) experience of being a Laker. I’m excited to be back. ... I couldn’t imagine being traded anywhere but here. If I was I not traded here, you probably wouldn’t have seen me.”
