Nets Rumors: Markieff Morris Agrees to 1-Year Contract After Stint with Heat

Former Miami Heat forward Markieff Morris and the Brooklyn Nets agreed to a one-year contract on Tuesday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

The news comes as little surprise after Chris Milholen of Nets Daily reported last week that the two sides had mutual interest.

Morris initially joined the Heat on a one-year deal ahead of the 2021-22 season following a year-and-a-half with the Los Angeles Lakers. He appeared in just 17 regular-season games for the franchise after suffering a whiplash injury on a shove from Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic during a game in November.

The 32-year-old was sidelined until March because of the ailment, and he finished the regular season averaging 7.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 17 games.

Morris also only appeared in one playoff game for the Heat. Head coach Erik Spoelstra sat him in favor of P.J. Tucker and a number of other players. The decision to bench the veteran wasn't a surprise after the team found so much success without him during the regular season.

Morris began his career with the Phoenix Suns after being selected 13th overall in the 2011 draft. He spent four-and-a-half seasons with the franchise before being traded to the Washington Wizards during the 2015-16 season.

The Kansas product has bounced around the NBA after spending just two full seasons with the Wizards. Since 2018-19, he has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons, Lakers and Heat.

Morris is far from the player he once was, but he'll be a solid bench player for the Nets, who spent the latter half of the offseason searching for a backup center.

Nic Claxton will spend the majority of the time on the floor alongside Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons, but Morris will still be called upon to play important minutes. In addition to playing center, he could also see time as the team's power forward behind Durant and Royce O'Neal.

Despite his tour around the league, it's no surprise the Nets decided to bring him aboard for the upcoming season. He has been a contributor on every team he's played for over his lengthy career, and there's no reason to believe he can't produce in 2022-23.