The Mavericks are bringing back Markieff Morris, the well-traveled forward who played eight games with the team last season after being part of the Kyrie Irving trade.
Morris became an unrestricted free agent this summer. He has played for eight NBA teams in his pro career and won a championship in 2020 as part of the Los Angeles Lakers.
To make room for Morris, the Mavericks had to jettison a player and 7-foot center JaVale McGee, who had two seasons left on his contract, was waived using the stretch clause, meaning that his two years of salary will be spread over five years, saving the Mavericks some salary-cap space in the coming two seasons.
The signing of Morris brings the Mavericks’ roster back to the 15-man limit, not including two-way and Exhibit 10 contracts.
Morris has played 12 NBA seasons and averaged 10.6 points and 5 rebounds for his career.
He most recently saw action in eight games for the Mavericks last season, averaging 4.5 points in 8.8 minutes per game. He has always been a dangerous three-point shooter and hit 39.4 percent from beyond the arc last season with the Nets and Mavericks.
The full news release is below:
MAVERICKS SIGN MARKIEFF MORRIS
The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed forward/center Markieff Morris. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Morris (6-9, 250) originally came to Dallas along with Kyrie Irving in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 6, 2023. He holds career averages of 10.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 24.1 minutes over 750 games (378 starts) with Phoenix, Washington, Oklahoma City, Detroit, the L.A. Lakers, Miami, Brooklyn and Dallas. He has shot 44.6% (3,065-6,877 FG) from the field, 34.3% (635-1,853 3FG) from beyond the arc and 77.8% (1,189-1,528 FT) from the free throw line over his career. Morris appeared in eight games (1 start) for the Mavericks in the 2022-23 season and averaged 4.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 8.8 minutes.
Selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Suns, the University of Kansas product won an NBA Championship in 2020 with the Lakers. He averaged 5.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 18.4 minutes per game in 21 games (2 starts) during the Lakers’ postseason run.
In the community, Markieff and his twin brother, Marcus, started the Family Over Everything Foundation to provide support and guidance that helps alleviate the burdens, financial and otherwise, faced by many single parents, families in underserved communities, and at-risk members of society.
Morris will now wear No. 88 for the Mavericks.
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