Markieff Morris returned to the place where he won the lone NBA championship of his career this season. Unfortunately for him, his time back with the Los Angeles Lakers will likely be very brief.
Morris was a throw-in for the blockbuster trade that landed Luka Doncic in Los Angeles. His impact on the team since his arrival has been miniscule.
The former 2020 NBA champion appeared in 8 games during the regular season for the Lakers in 2024-25, starting two contests that JJ Redick deemed irrelevant for his team. Morris averaged 5.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, while shooting 33.3 percent from the field.
This is not a scenario in which Morris is a veteran culture-setter akin to someone like Udonis Haslem either. Once the veteran forward hits unrestricted free agency this summer, expect the Lakers to move on from the 35-year-old.
Lakers' wasted roster spot in 2024-25 needs to be filled appropriately
None of this is meant to be disrespectful to Morris. The former lottery pick had plenty of time during his long NBA career when reliable production could be expected of the Kansas product.
Morris even appeared in 21 games for the Lakers during their 2020 championship run, averaging 18.3 minutes in the playoffs and providing some valuable spacing and defense off the bench. That just isn't who the 14-year pro is anymore.
Bringing back Morris for another year in Los Angeles would be a wasted roster spot for a team that is looking to reposition themselves as a championship contender around Doncic. There just is not much benefit to reupping that relationship for the 2025-26 campaign.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers displayed the value of having deep, well-rounded during the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Most would have pegged the Thunder to be an NBA Finals team for the majority of the season. It was the Pacers' arrival on that stage that really cemented that point.
The Lakers had plenty of problems with their depth this postseason. They will be looking to both the trade market and free agency to fix that during the summer.
Would having Morris sitting at the end of the bench really be better than someone like Gary Harris, by contrast? The former Orlando Magic role player could provide a much better insurance policy in the case of injury or for the instances that lineup flexibility in required.
Rob Pelinka will need to maximize every spot on the 2025-26 roster. Moving on from Morris would be a necessary step in that process.