Teams that are at the type of the league can usually attract high-quality free agents in free agency. The Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks were two prime examples of this last season. Now it appears the Philadelphia 76ers might be joining that tier of destinations according to Jason Dumas of Bleacher Report.
Source: Markieff’s preference is to play for the Philadelphia 76ers. Markieff grew up in North Philadelphia and won a Philly Public League & two PA State Titles at Prep Charter. The Sixers are still weighing their options but have given this a thought. https://t.co/JJUAjYRNrN
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) July 18, 2022
Let’s be clear, Markieff Morris isn’t a top-tier free agent who would be taking less money to join Philly, but he’s a veteran who has championship experience. If he was brought in, he’d be the second veteran who would be brought in who has title experience with P.J. Tucker being the first.
The question surrounding Morris is what version would the Philadelphia 76ers get if they did sign him this offseason?
Morris is two seasons removed from playing a vital role for the Los Angeles Lakers during their title run. This past season he started off strong for the Miami Heat until Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic retaliated from a hard foul (slightly dirty play) from Morris and hit Morris from behind.
Morris missed the majority of the season as a result. For the year, Morris averaged 7.6 points and 2.6 rebounds, while converting 33.3 percent of his 3-pointers. Assuming he gets healthy this summer and he can improve his rebounding a bit, Morris might be a good power forward or third-string center off the bench. He has the size to play both at 6-foot-9.
Outside of his play, Morris is another tough type of player who could help build a defense-first mentality in the 76ers locker room. Tucker was brought in for his toughness and Morris is that same type of player as well. He’s a quality player who I’ve mentioned as a potential free agent target before and he was ranked 42nd on my unrestricted free agent big board.
Only time will tell if the Philadelphia 76ers do sign Morris or not. However, it should make the organization feel good because a veteran like Morris would like to play for them.