In high school, Markieff and Marcus Morris shut down any recruiters who came after them separately. Both attended Kansas for college.
In 2011, they were selected No. 13 and 14 in the NBA Draft, respectively, and two years later found their way to play on the Phoenix Suns together for a short time.
Now with the twins in Los Angeles, they may not be teammates, but Markieff and Marcus will once again get the chance to be as close to inseparable as possible.
The Morris twins plan to live together and carpool to games in which Marcus’ Clippers and Markieff’s Lakers face off — particularly if it happens in the playoffs — Marcus told ESPN.
“Probably gonna ride to the game together. That don’t bother us, to have to go out there and compete — we’re pros, and both of us gonna go hard and both are gonna do the best we can do for our team,” he said. “…For us to be together, it’s just icing on the cake.”
Markieff received a buyout from the Detroit Pistons last week and signed with the Lakers after clearing waivers. Marcus was traded to the Clippers at the trade deadline.
The two, who have near-identical tattoos, will once again be in the same city.
The last time this happened, things started well in Phoenix.
Marcus’ original NBA team, the Houston Rockets, made him available, so Phoenix swiped him up in exchange for a second-round pick. He and Markieff were part of the 2013-14 Suns team that won 48 games, almost twice as many as the 25 in the previous season, yet missed the playoffs.
The Suns signed them to an extension — a lump sum of $52 million over four years, and the twins could decide how to split it up.
Markieff signed for $32 million and Marcus for $20 million. According to the Arizona Republic, they not only lived together, but had a shared bank account.
“We told them it didn’t matter,” Markieff said to AZCentral. “If they just put $13 (million) a year for the Morris twins, that would’ve been great. They wouldn’t even have to say our names … We’re $52 million players.”
But things soured. In Phoenix’s pursuit of LaMarcus Aldridge the offseason before the 2015-16 season, the Suns signed Tyson Chandler. To clear cap space, they traded Marcus to the Detroit Pistons.
Markieff was furious. His relationship with Phoenix turned toxic, culminating in a two-game suspension after he threw a towel at then-head coach Jeff Hornacek during a game.
Finally, in February 2016, Markieff was traded to the Washington Wizards.
Four years later, the two get the chance to play at the same arena once again.
While they may be in opposing locker rooms, Markieff and Marcus will be able to live like brothers — and roommates — who simply have separate jobs.
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