For obvious reasons, Luka Doncic received the lion's share of attention among the Lakers' trade deadline acquisitions. Los Angeles was adding a bona fide superstar in his prime, thanks to a blockbuster trade that nobody saw coming. Understandably, the rest of the players who joined the team around the same time went under the radar.
One of those players was Markieff Morris. The veteran forward, along with injured big man Maxi Kleber, was a part of the trade package from the Mavericks to the Lakers. So far, he has played in only three games, but his impact has been felt off the court. Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times spoke with the team to better understand what Morris means for the Lakers.
LeBron James, who won an NBA championship with Morris in 2020, spoke very highly of the veteran's leadership. He added that he has been relying on the opinion of Morris and highlighted how happy he is to have him back.
"I missed him... We’ve been in the foxhole together. We’ve been on the floor during big games together. And there’s someone whose opinion I value very much when I come off the floor. He’s watching it. He’s seeing it. I’m just happy to have him back. It’s great to see him."LeBron James on Markieff Morris
Head coach JJ Redick echoed the sentiment. He complimented the championship experience Morris brings and underlined the importance of having a locker room leader willing to talk to the young players and mentor them.
"I think it’s very valuable to have a guy like that, a voice, an older voice, someone who’s seen it all in the NBA, someone who’s won a championship, obviously that helps as well."JJ Redick on Markieff Morris
At this stage of his career, Morris doesn't have much gas left in the tank. He has had various end-of-the-bench roles over the last couple of years, including with Miami, Brooklyn, and Dallas. However, he has over 50 playoff games under his belt and is widely considered to be one of the toughest competitors in the league. That clearly means something for a team hoping to make a deep postseason run.