Markieff and Marcus Morris Agree to Contract Extensions with Phoenix Suns
As expected, the Phoenix Suns announced multiyear extensions for forwards Markieff and Marcus Morris early Monday morning.
The Morris twins, who have long expressed a desire to continue playing together, have been teammates in Phoenix since midway through the 2012-13 season. Markieff was the Suns' first-round pick in 2011, while Marcus was traded to the Suns by the Houston Rockets at the 2013 trade deadline.
"We are particularly pleased to have reached extension agreements with Marcus and Markieff before the start of training camp," President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby said in a statement. "There is an extraordinary bond between these twin brothers; they make each other better players and better men. We take pride in their growth and look forward to their bright futures."
Official terms of the contracts were not released, as is typical NBA policy. However, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic reported Markieff's deal is for four years and $32 million and Marcus signed for $20 million over the same time frame:
Coro was quick to weigh in on the impact of the Suns agreeing to terms with the Morris brothers prior to October:
"The Suns head to training camp today in Flagstaff without distractions now that Bledsoe is signed and the Morris twin extensions are done, an unusually early development with rookie contract extension talks usually going up to the Oct. 31 deadline. Getting the deals done also helps the Suns avoid a pile-up of expired contracts next summer, when Goran Dragic is expected to opt out of his current deal and Gerald Green becomes a free agent.
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The respective contracts adequately represent the difference in skill level between the twins. Markieff has emerged as one of the better reserve forwards in basketball, after averaging 13.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in 81 outings last season. He is the better defensive player of the two and will very likely step into a full-time starter's role following the departure of Channing Frye.
Marcus, who had an up-and-down first couple seasons, seemed to find his NBA groove in 2013-14. He averaged 9.7 points and 3.9 rebounds while playing in all 82 games. An improving offensive player in a hybrid forward role, he shot a career-best 38.1 percent from three-point range last season.
General manager Ryan McDonough highlighted the success the twins have had playing together, per the team press release:
"We are excited to be able to extend the contracts of Marcus and Markieff. They have had great success playing together at every level of basketball, including last season with the Suns. They have made great strides over the past year and we feel like they will continue to grow and improve. They are just entering their primes and we think they will play the best basketball of their careers over the course of the next five years.
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Marcus and Markieff previously played college ball at Kansas, helping Bill Self and the Jayhawks to three straight Big 12 championships. After their brief professional reprieve from one another, both Morrises said they'd prefer to play together for the remainder of their careers.
"Wherever we're together, it's home," Markieff told Max Cohen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "We just go out there and have fun. The game isn't the same when we're apart."
Marcus took to Twitter to express his excitement following the announcement of his new contract:
Their extensions come less than a week after Phoenix signed point guard Eric Bledsoe to a five-year, $70 million deal. Bledsoe and the Suns had been engaged in protracted negotiations that lasted most of the summer.
With their point guard of the future in tow, McDonough and Babby were able to concentrate on signing the Morris twins by the Oct. 31 deadline. Markieff and Marcus are the second and third players from the 2011 draft class to receive long-term extensions, joining Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving. Their deals won't nearly get the same amount of coverage, but with the Suns banging on the playoff door, it was just as important that they get it done.
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