The Los Angeles Lakers underwent a massive roster turnover this offseason and one of the casualties of that was forward Markieff Morris. The Lakers signed Morris during the 2020 season after he was bought out and the veteran played an absolutely massive role in the team’s championship run.
Last season, Morris had his ups and downs, but he was a reliable and versatile piece whom the team could plug in anywhere. Furthermore, with the team targeting veteran players with championship experience, Morris would fit the bill. But the Lakers decided to go elsewhere and Morris would ultimately join the Miami Heat.
This was an outcome that even Morris himself didn’t see coming. In an interview with Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel (subscription required), Morris revealed that he expected to return to the Lakers for another season:
“It’s different,” Morris, 32, said this week to the Sun Sentinel of his unique offseason. “I really didn’t expect it. It’s business sometimes. There isn’t too much I can say about that. It was super unexpected. For sure, I thought I was going back to the Lakers. But, sometimes I’m not in teams’ plans and that’s how it works sometimes.”
After the season, the Lakers front office spoke as if they would be bringing a lot of players back since injuries ruined the year. Morris isn’t the only player who expected to return only to see the team go in a different direction as Jared Dudley has spoken on his surprise to no longer be in purple and gold as well.
Morris played an absolutely essential role in the Lakers run in 2020 and was one of the unsung heroes of last season’s turbulent ride. With injuries crippling the roster it was Morris more often than not who saw his role change on a game-to-game basis and was always prepared to step up.
Thankfully for Morris, he was able to land with another veteran team hoping to replicate the success they had in 2020 following a disappointing 2021. The Lakers made their choice, bringing in the likes of Carmelo Anthony and Trevor Ariza, and now Morris has the chance to help another team accomplish their lofty goals.
Frank Vogel still undecided on Lakers starting lineup
The Lakers did ultimately bring in a number of new players to surround their stars and head coach Frank Vogel has some decisions to make about the team’s starting lineup and overall rotations. With training camp around the corner, Vogel admitted that no decisions have been made yet, and he will look to see which combinations work best together throughout camp.
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