After much speculation, veteran power forward Markieff Morris has signed a free agent deal with the Dallas Mavericks, as reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Read more: Mavericks News: Free Agent Role Player Hints At Return — With Reinforcements
Details about Morris’ contract are still under wraps, but it is expected to be a veteran’s minimum deal—consistent with his recent contracts since the 2020-21 season.
Morris played a supporting role in the trade that brought Kyrie Irving to Dallas from the Brooklyn Nets last season. Although he has primarily been a leader off the court, his on-court contributions have decreased significantly. His last impactful seasons were with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he helped secure a championship in 2020, thanks to his strong defense and shooting ability.
In the previous season, Morris played only 26 games as a deep-bench reserve, averaging 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in 8.3 minutes of play.
This offseason has seen the Mavericks make a flurry of roster changes following their recent run to the NBA Finals, where they lost in five games to the Boston Celtics.
Read more: Celtics Win Record-Breaking 18th NBA Finals With Blowout Victory Over Mavericks
Dallas is retooling its roster and has made several notable moves, including trading Tim Hardaway Jr. and three future second-round picks for backup guard Quentin Grimes. They also brought in former All-Star Klay Thompson via a reported three-year, $50 million sign-and-trade deal, alongside a 2025 second-round pick.
Despite losing starting small forward Derrick Jones Jr. to the L.A. Clippers, the Mavericks secured young wing Naji Marshall on a three-year, $27 million deal, offering a strong shooting option. Marshall’s 3-point shooting significantly enhances Dallas’ floor spacing compared to Jones.
Thompson is seen as an upgrade over Hardaway, providing sharpshooting alongside All-Stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The competition between Thompson and Marshall for significant minutes will be an exciting development for the Mavericks.
Read more: Mavericks All-Star Credited As ‘Biggest’ Reason Klay Thompson Left Warriors
While Morris’ signing may not drastically alter the starting rotation, he brings invaluable experience and can serve as a mentor on the court, having previously logged crucial minutes with playoff teams.