A former Detroit Pistons The veteran left the free agent market last week, making the decision to sign with the Dallas Mavericks.
According to Shams Charania of The AthleticMarkieff Morris returns to the team he played with for the past two seasons.
In 2022-23, Morris was part of the blockbuster package that involved a deal between the Mavs and the Brooklyn Nets. As Kyrie Irving’s time in Brooklyn came to an end, Morris joined Dallas. At this point, they remain with the Mavs.
Morris played eight games with the Mavs two seasons ago. Last year, he came off the bench for all but one of the 26 games he played. Averaging eight minutes of ice time, Morris scored just three points per game on 34 percent shooting.
When the playoffs rolled around, Morris only appeared in one game during the Mavs’ run to the title, which came to an abrupt end in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
Charania said Morris’ leadership in Dallas was strong enough to earn him a short-term offer. He won’t be joining a ninth team after all.
The Pistons were part of Morris’ journey in 2019. After playing with the Washington Wizards and OKC Thunder in 2018-19, Morris signed with the Pistons in the offseason. He played in 44 games, averaging 23 minutes of play. Morris produced 11 points per game while shooting nearly 40 percent from three-point range.
In February 2020, Morris and the Pistons agreed to part ways via a buyout. Shortly after his departure, Morris agreed to join the Los Angeles Lakers for the remainder of the season. The Lakers went on to win the 2020 NBA Finals in a season that was over halfway through.
At this point, Morris’ vocal leadership is his strong suit. While his playing time was limited to less than ten minutes on average last season, Morris has more than enough experience to step into a backup role if called upon. Over the course of his career, the former first-round pick has played in over 770 games, earning nearly 380 starts.
The former Piston hopes to find championship success once again as the reigning Western Conference champion.