"When asked how long the Suns had been trying to trade Morris — who became a malcontent after Phoenix traded his twin brother, Marcus, over the summer — McDonough said, "About eight months. It was obviously something we were glad to do."
McDonough also said the Suns were excited to get a potentially high lottery pick for Morris, because they're hard to come by.
"Any time a player has issues off the court combined with poor play, whatever the factors may be, injuries, it can make it a challenge [to trade that player]," McDonough said. When asked if the Suns could have made a deal that netted them players and a pick in the months prior, McDonough said, "No. If we could have, we would have done it then."
McDonough's comments reveal how startling it was for Washington to give them a top-nine-protected first-round pick. Morris not only had a bad reputation around the league, as he loafed through the first half of the season with a poor attitude, he is also facing aggravated assault for an off-court incident that occurred last January.
That other teams wouldn't give up players and a pick for Markieff shows Washington likely overpaid, even if Morris had played well leading up to the deadline and is on a long-term, team-friendly contract.
First-round picks are some of the most valuable assets in today's NBA. With a rising salary cap that will give most teams cap space, draft picks give teams the opportunity to score young, talented players on long-term contracts."
The Wizards gave up one of the most valuable assets in the NBA for a player nobody wanted