Lakers Rumors: Markieff Morris En Route To Bubble For Quarantine

Matthew Moreno
3 Min Read
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

When the Los Angeles Lakers submitted their traveling party list to the NBA for its restart at Walt Disney World, it featured the maximum 17 players. The NBA officially announced rosters for each of the 22 teams in the bubble, which again for the Lakers was comprised of 17 players.

Of course, the team is without their full allotment. Avery Bradley had announced his decision to opt out of playing well before the Lakers traveled to Orlando, Florida, and while there, Rajon Rondo suffered a fractured thumb during practice.

Rondo has since left the bubble to under surgery and is projected to miss six to eight weeks, which puts his return at late in the first round or start of the second round of the playoffs.

Meanwhile, indications have been Markieff Morris did not join the Lakers on their chartered flight earlier this month because of an excused absence. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Morris is now en route to enter the bubble:

Upon arriving at the Grant Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Morris will need to enter a quarantine phase before he can officially return to the court with the Lakers. It’s unclear how long that period will be, but in most cases players have needed to register two negative tests for coronavirus (COVID-19) over 48 hours.

The Lakers play their first of three scrimmage games on Thursday.

Multiple reports Tuesday morning said the other Morris twin, Marcus, was back practicing with the L.A. Clippers. Similar to Lakers head coach Frank Vogel, coach Doc Rivers had declined to fully address Marcus’ status or state whether or not he was on the campus.

Practice times proving challenging

Vogel has spoken highly of players’ focus and performance thus far in practices, but scheduling has presented the team with a bit of a challenge. The NBA determines when teams will practice, which for the Lakers has amounted to short turnarounds in some cases.

“We went from a 5 o’clock practice to a 12 o’clock practice the next day, then a 9 a.m. practice,” Vogel said recently. “We’re under 24 hours (returning to the court) each of those times.

“Again, trying to just factor in all these things to make sure we’re managing their bodies and the buildup the right way.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com
Exit mobile version