The Suns have been within a handful of games of the playoffs twice in the past two years. By every objective measure, they're an example of a team that has managed the rebuilding process with aplomb, trading for a high-value young star in Eric Bledsoe while stockpiling picks and adding key young players. As long as you just look at the numbers on the board, everything with Phoenix is great.
Under the surface however, there are some concerning signs. Goran Dragic, never known to be a drama queen, demanded a trade last year. On the way out, he bashed the organization. Isaiah Thomas had some words about Phoenix after being dealt to Boston. The team traded Marcus Morris along with a few other players to chase LaMarcus Aldridge after signing Morris and his brother Markieff to long-term extensions, and Morris has openly torched the team. Repeatedly. There's some disagreement about how long-time Sun Channing Frye left town.
And now, there's news that Markieff Morris, arguably the Suns' second-best player behind Bledsoe, wants out.
According to @Gambo987's sources, Markieff wants out. He wants nothing to do with the #Suns. Won't talk to players or staff. #NBA
— Burns and Gambo (@BurnsAndGambo) August 6, 2015
It's worth noting that both Morris twins are facing aggravated assault charges in Arizona that could bring jail time. Their lawyers recently filed to send the case back to grand jury based on what they are describing as questionable evidence. Meanwhile, neither twin seemed happy about the trade that broke the two up. We should also point out that Markieff blasted Suns fans earlier this year for not being loud enough at home, which didn't exactly endear him to the community.
If that has something to do with this, then it's point blank ridiculous. The former Jayhawk twins can't honestly expect to play their entire careers together. That's simply not realistic, and you can't blame the Suns for pursuing LaMarcus Aldridge over keeping those two together so they could be happy.
However, if this is part of a greater trend of players not trusting the front office, or of dysfunction inside the locker room, that's a much bigger issue. The Suns have had a lot of turnover, and if this report is accurate, they could be looking at more. All of it inexhaustibly leads to the question: what exactly is going on in Phoenix?
