Markieff Morris
This one comes with an asterisk. The Washington Wizards traded Markieff Morris along with a second round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans to avoid the luxury tax this season. The Pelicans acquired the second round pick to aid their rebuild and promptly cut Morris’s expiring contract. Morris is without a doubt the most natural fit for the Blazers roster. He could add instant depth at the power forward position, space the floor, and add some much-needed toughness.
However, Morris had been dealing with a neck injury and there are rumors that it may be worse than originally anticipated. After suffering the injury on December 26th, he was ruled out for six weeks, but Morris will now reportedly seek a second opinion. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports first reported the news of Morris’s second opinion:
Yahoo Sources: Markieff Morris, who was recently traded to New Orleans, will likely seek second opinion on his neck injury. In early Jan., he was diagnosed with transient cervical neuropraxia and ruled out six weeks.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 7, 2019
If Morris can return to the court this season, he would be an instant upgrade for the Blazers. A mix of Layman, Turner, Aminu, Morris, Harkless, and Hood at the forward positions would give Terry Stotts a number of options and a very deep rotation. Morris’s status will be worth monitoring moving forward.