A week after scuffling with teammate Archie Goodwin, forward Markieff Morris was traded Thursday by the free-falling Phoenix Suns to the Washington Wizards, a team hoping to boost its chances of making the playoffs.
Phoenix received a first-round draft pick and forwards Kris Humphries and former Schenley and Pitt standout DeJuan Blair in exchange for the 6-foot-10, 245-pound Morris.
Speaking to reporters while riding a hoverboard on his way out of the Suns’ arena Thursday, Morris expressed his thanks to that team and said: “I’m just ready to move on.”
In his fifth NBA season, all with Phoenix, Morris was third on the Suns in scoring at 11.6 points per game and also averaged 5.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
Morris’ contract is worth $8 million per year.
Humphries, best known for briefly being married to reality TV star Kim Kardashian, missed 18 of Washington’s past 19 games because of a sore right knee. He recently turned 31 and is in his 12th NBA season.
Blair is averaging only 2.1 points in limited action in his seventh year in the league.
A look at some of the key deals:
• Doc Rivers traded for Jeff Green, a former Boston Celtic, and shipped Lance Stephenson to Memphis. The Grizzlies also acquired a future first-round pick.
• Cleveland dealt seldom-used Anderson Varejao to Portland and brought in Channing Frye from Orlando, giving it another perimeter-shooting big forward like Kevin Love to help spread the floor for LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
• Instead of trading point guard Jeff Teague, whose name was thrown in to a number of potential trade talks, Atlanta brought in a new potential backup in Chicago’s Kirk Hinrich in a three-team trade. The Hawks sent Shelvin Mack to Utah and Justin Holliday to the Bulls, who also got a second-round pick from the Jazz.
• Detroit made its second deal of the week, acquiring forward/center Donatas Motiejunas and guard Marcus Thornton from Houston for center Joel Anthony and a protected 2016 first-round draft pick.
• Oklahoma City sent backup point guard D.J. Augustin him and Steve Novak to the Nuggets for Randy Foye, a veteran who can play both guard positions.
First Published: February 19, 2016, 5:10 a.m.
