This crazy, frenzied free agency window finally seems to have come to a slower pace, after the onslaught of deals that has been ongoing since Sunday evening. But the Detroit Pistons still have a few moves left in their locker, and they dished one of them out by signing Markieff Morris on a two year, $3.6 million deal.
This #Pistons front office is doing yeoman's work in reconfiguring the roster, but adding Derrick Rose, Markieff Morris, Tony Snell and Timi Frazier given the constraints they had is a strong offseason.
I'm intrigued about what they can pull off with actual cap space.
— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) July 3, 2019
Pistons putting a lot in Morris basket
The 8 year NBA veteran spent the last season at two teams- the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Washington Wizards. He played in 58 games and averaged 9.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
Detroit has a lot banking on this move- they have used their full biannual exception, worth $3.6 million to ensure the signature of Morris for the next two seasons. The management at the Pistons know that their young team needs experience and front-court depth, and Morris conveniently ticks both boxes.
Markieff hoping to emulate brother Marcus’ influence
This is, however, not the first Morris to the lineup for the Pistons. Markieff’s twin brother, Morris played over 150 games for the team between 2015 and 2017. During that period, he was considered a reliable starter, with a gritty playing style and a strong work ethic. While Markieff hasn’t been brought in as a starter, the Pistons will be hoping that he will bring the same no-nonsense attitude that his brother carried on the court.
Morris’ pairing in the frontcourt will be with Thon Maker. Both players are over 6’10”, and both their inside-outside game is fairly well developed so that they won’t be getting in each other’s way.
Free agent Markieff Morris has agreed to a deal with the Detroit Pistons, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2019
Another reason that the Pistons went for Morris is Blake Griffin’s injury history. The player has suffered a vast list of knee injuries, and knowing someone reliable is available when Griffin can’t make it to court will be a massive boost for the Pistons.