The Los Angeles Lakers will need to retool their roster this summer as Rob Pelinka continues to do his best to build a championship team around its centerpieces in LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
Being a professional athlete is a "what have you done for me lately?" type of occupation. This is no shock to anyone who follows the big four leagues in the United States of America. With that being the case, seeing the Purple and Gold push a member of its most recent championship team out the door this offseason will not come as a surprise to fans of the Lakers. Perhaps more than any other team, Los Angeles prioritizes championships over all else as raising the team's next banner is the franchise's goal year in and year out.
Lakers' Markieff Morris Should Already Have His Bags Packed for New Team
Morris joined the Lakers at the trade deadline as he was part of the package sent to Los Angeles by the Dallas Mavericks as part of the Luka Doncic trade. After joining the Purple and Gold for the stretch run, Morris played sparingly, making just two starts in eight total appearances for the Lakers. Limited time on the court led to limited opportunities for Morris to make meaningful contributions to the team's success as the former Kansas Jayhawks standout averaged 5.5 points, 2.1 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per game.
Those numbers are relatively easy to replicate by bringing in another body. Given the fact that Morris will be 36 years old by the time training camp opens this fall, the likelihood that he'll be a difference maker on the hardwood for Los Angeles is slim to none. Fortunately, this can be as clean of a break as there is in the NBA, as Morris is not under contract for the 2025-26 campaign.
The frontcourt was a major issue for the Purple and Gold in their opening round playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and will be an area prioritized by the front office when seeking out prospects in the draft and free agents.
While Morris may have been able to help fill that role at one point in his NBA career, those days have seemingly passed him by. As a result, the best thing the Lakers could do is to wish him well and thank him for his contributions to the franchise.