Markieff Morris didn’t travel with Lakers to Orlando, but will reportedly join them ‘soon’

After days worth of speculation, we finally know where Markieff Morris, or at least where he isn’t. According to a report from Kyle Goon of the OC Register, Morris did not travel with the Los Angeles Lakers to Orlando last week. However, Morris is reportedly expected to join the team “soon.”

Suspicion regarding Morris’ whereabouts first arose when it became apparent that his presence was missing from the team’s social content, as well as the photos that have been made available to the media. Then, on Wednesday, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel declined to comment on the forward’s performance in practice, citing a team policy on player privacy despite the fact that he had praised other players earlier in the week. At that point, it was clear that Morris didn’t travel with the team.

The reason behind Morris’ excused absence remains unclear, but we hope that it has nothing to do with his health or the health of anyone in his family. As much as Morris would help the Lakers in the postseason, there are things that are bigger than basketball.

Morris signed with the Lakers in February and has appeared in eight games for them. During that time, he’s averaged 4.8 points on 38.9% shooting from the field, including 28.6% shooting from 3-point range. He’s also contributed 3.3 rebounds per game while averaging 14.8 minutes per game.

The Lakers will resume their season on July 30 against the LA Clippers, who Markieff’s twin brother Marcus plays for. It’s probably worth noting that Clippers fans haven’t seen Marcus in pictures either, and Doc Rivers gave a quote similar to Vogel’s when asked if Marcus was with the team.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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