Should the Detroit Pistons trade Ilyasova for Markieff Morris?
Should the Detroit Pistons trade Ersan Ilyasova for Markieff Morris?
I’ve seen this question asked by one of our readers in the comment section of a recent post, and I’ve also seen it suggested in a trade article on one of our sister sites.
The Markieff Morris to Detroit Pistons connection makes sense at first glance. The Pistons don’t have a long-term option at power forward and Markieff is a good fit next to Andre Drummond because of his ability to stretch the floor.
He’s also been very vocal about wanting out of Phoenix since his brother’s trade to Detroit. It’s easy to connect the dots–especially since both teams could make this trade work financially–but does it makes sense for Detroit?
Morris’ mobility and shooting isn’t enough to outweigh his toxic personality and his inconsistent effort on defense. Plus, at 31.8% his outside shooting is hardly something defenses should fear.
Ilyasova is a more efficient shooter and rebounder, but the trade could be enticing to the Pistons because he’s also a little older and less durable than Markieff.
The question becomes whether or not age and durability outweigh a cancerous personality that’s proven to be volatile on and off the court.
I can’t see Stan Van Gundy taking a chance on a less efficient and more troublesome piece because of durability.
There’s another aspect that often goes overlooked in a Markieff Morris trade to Detroit: Does Marcus really want to play with his brother again?
People in the media tend to think Detroit is an obvious fit because Markieff seems to really want to play with Marcus. But what if he just didn’t like the fact that he and his brother were blindsided by this trade? What if Markieff does want to play with Marcus, but Marcus doesn’t really want to play with Markieff?
Marcus said at his introductory press conference that he didn’t have a chance to grow as a player next to his brother.
Why would he want to be in the exact same situation for the next four seasons? Plus, the twins aren’t exactly the best influences on each other.
Even with all of the negatives, the potential upside of Markieff is enough to make a team think twice. It’s the “what if I can get this kid to play hard for me” syndrome that is going to eventually land Phoenix a decent deal for Markieff.
I doubt the Pistons are that team.
Next: Detroit Pistons Marcus Morris Hearing Footsteps?