For as much fun as it can be for fans on the outside watching the chaos of the NBA trade deadline, it’s a much different experience for the players who get their lives uprooted. There are all kinds of logistics to figure out with living arrangements, family, and everything else in life outside of basketball that gets suddenly flipped on its head.
There are a variety of emotions and reactions players can have to a trade, as well. For some it’s excitement to go to a better opportunity or relief to finally have a resolution to long-standing rumors. Others feel betrayed or hurt to be traded away from an organization they had deep ties to. And then sometimes it’s just sheer confusion. That was the initial feeling for Markieff Morris, as he was one of the “others” put into the Mavs and Lakers blockbuster deal to swap Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis.
As Markieff explained on his Twin$nWin$ podcast with his brother Marcus (3:00 mark of the video below), his first thought when he got the call from his agent that he was being traded was simply, “who the hell want me? Who wants to trade for me?”
It’s a very funny first reaction, but Markieff just couldn’t believe he was even part of a trade because he’d played in all of seven games for the Mavericks and less than 35 minutes this season. As has been noted a number of times, the Mavs and Lakers were keeping the trade extremely secretive, so no players, coaches, or anyone not directly involved in talks was aware. That extended to Morris even on the call from his agent he was getting dealt, and he didn’t learn it was a bigger deal involving Luka until he saw the news on his phone.
At that point, it all made a lot more sense to him and he joked that if they’re willing to trade Luka, they’d trade him for “a bag of popcorn”. Morris obviously took it all in stride but did note that he wishes he’d been aware he might get dealt, because he recently bought a house and was looking to build a life in Dallas. Now he’s in L.A. and is making the most of being flipped to a hopeful contender (and has played in both games since arriving with the Lakers).
