Markieff Morris wants to be traded by Phoenix Suns, cites 'disrespect'

Markieff Morris has made it clear that he wants no part of playing for the Phoenix Suns after the team traded his twin brother, Marcus Morris, to the Detroit Pistons this offseason.

"One thing for sure, I am not going to be there," Markieff Morris told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday. "If you want to put that out there, you can put that out. I don't give a [freak]. I am not going to be there at all. That's just what it is."

The Morris twins both agreed to four-year contract extensions with the Suns prior to last season, saying they settled for less money so they could play together. The Suns, however, dealt Marcus to Detroit last month in a salary dump that he said was "a slap in the face."

The brothers had played together in high school, at Kansas and for three of their four NBA seasons in Phoenix -- Marcus played his rookie season with the Rockets in 2011 before joining Markieff with the Suns during the 2012-13 season.

Markieff, who will make $8 million next season, told the Inquirer that he'll report to the Suns training camp in September if he's still with Phoenix, but he's pretty sure he'll be playing for another team by then.

"I've got to show up. No question." Markieff told the paper. "You can't do that. I will be a professional. Don't get me wrong. But it won't get that far. ... I'm going to be out before then. Should be."

He added later: "It's just when you get to a point in your life, you just need to move on. That's what I need to do for my career, my family, myself. I just need to move on."

The twinspleaded not guilty to assault for an alleged incident outside a Phoenix-area recreation center, but Markieff said that had nothing to do with Marcus being traded.

"They can tell you anything about the case and all of that," Markieff told the Inquirer. "It has nothing to do with that. That's just all disrespect and all unprofessional. They called us unprofessional. That's what that is, unprofessional. No one is trying to hear that.

"Stuff wasn't that bad [with the Suns]. Phoenix is trying to make it seem like people were in there just acting [up]. We have everything under control. They were trying to make it seem players weren't getting along. We had a great time."

Marcus Morris told the Inquirer that he and his brother feel betrayed, but that they can play for separate teams.

"I'm a grown man," Morris told the paper. "I can stand on my own. I play on my own. It's just the disrespect side. What we did for the Suns, the pay cuts we took and for them to trade me without consent is what made me more disappointed and is what made me more upset."