{"id":106377,"date":"2024-11-11T17:17:52","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T22:17:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=106377"},"modified":"2024-11-11T17:17:52","modified_gmt":"2024-11-11T22:17:52","slug":"suns-monte-morris-decision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/11\/11\/suns-monte-morris-decision\/","title":{"rendered":"Suns Primed to Make Mid-December Monte Morris Decision"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the Phoenix Suns continue their incredible start to the season, one name on the roster stands out as an early trade candidate: Monte Morris.<\/a> The Suns, sitting at an impressive 8-2, have shown depth and versatility, with new head coach Mike Budenholzer<\/a> refining rotations and roles. Morris, however, finds himself on the outside looking in, a capable veteran in a team that may not have room for him.<\/p>\n

Suns Primed to Make Mid-December Monte Morris Decision<\/h2>\n

Phoenix’s Strong Start Creates Tough Decisions<\/h3>\n

Phoenix\u2019s opening stretch has been one of the league\u2019s best, with the Suns winning close contests against quality opponents. This 8-2 run includes a nail-biting one-point<\/a> victory over the Dallas Mavericks, adding to the team\u2019s momentum and confidence. Budenholzer<\/a> has instilled a resilient<\/a> mindset in the group, leaning on a nine-man<\/a> rotation that\u2019s performed consistently well. Unfortunately, Morris remains outside this core group, as Coach Budenholzer\u2019s lineup choices highlight who he truly trusts on the floor.<\/p>\n

Budenholzer’s Trusted Rotation Leaves Morris Out<\/h3>\n

Morris has had limited opportunities so far, with Budenholzer choosing to keep him as the 10th man in the rotation. In some games, Morris has not played at all. Averaging fewer than 10 minutes per game, he sits behind key guards Tyus Jones<\/a>, Bradley Beal<\/a>, and Devin Booker.<\/a> Additionally, rookies like Ryan Dunn<\/a> have quickly earned Budenholzer\u2019s trust and valuable minutes.<\/p>\n

Morris, a capable point guard, hoped for more significant involvement but now finds himself on the bench, waiting for limited opportunities. Even when Beal missed<\/a> time due to an elbow issue, Morris saw little increase in minutes. Instead, Budenholzer favored Dunn, who has\u00a0started<\/a> in two games this season. These early trends suggest Morris\u2019s role will remain minimal as long as the Suns stay healthy.<\/p>\n

A Valuable Backup with No Clear Path to Playing Time<\/h3>\n

Despite his limited role, Morris is still a valuable backup. If Jones or another key guard suffered an injury, Morris could step up as a capable floor general. His skill set and experience make him an ideal insurance policy. However, with the Suns enjoying good health and the guard rotation performing well, Morris remains outside of Phoenix’s rotation.\u00a0Morris hasn\u2019t done anything wrong on the court, but Phoenix\u2019s stacked backcourt has crowded him out of a meaningful role. Beal\u2019s absence did not shift Morris\u2019s standing, and rookies like Dunn continue to thrive, signaling that Budenholzer sees his depth chart as set for now.<\/p>\n

The Suns\u2019 Mid-December Trade Options<\/h3>\n

Monte Morris is currently on a minimum deal, and by mid-December, the Suns can explore trade options for him. While Phoenix likely won\u2019t get much in return, they could seek a second-round pick or trade him for a veteran in a different position. A team needing an experienced backup point guard might see Morris as a low-cost, reliable addition. For Phoenix, moving Morris could free up cap space and roster flexibility for potential future needs.<\/p>\n

If the Suns maintain their health and performance, Morris\u2019s role will likely remain marginal. Trading him would allow Phoenix to focus on players more integral to Budenholzer\u2019s strategy. The Suns might target teams struggling with backcourt depth or in need of a reliable floor general, especially if the return bolsters their frontcourt or overall roster depth.<\/p>\n

Monte Morris’s Suns Future Likely Lies Elsewhere<\/h3>\n

For now, Morris is a steady presence on the Suns bench, but the likelihood of him securing meaningful minutes is slim. His hope of a significant role faded with Jones\u2019 late offseason signing. With rotations solidifying and the team thriving, Morris\u2019 role appears minimal as the Suns continue to charge forward in the season.<\/p>\n

Monte Morris\u2019 time with the Suns<\/a> may be short, but his professionalism and talent make him an appealing trade candidate. A midseason move would allow him the chance to contribute elsewhere, potentially benefiting a team with fewer guard options. For the Suns, who already look primed for a deep playoff run, trading Morris may offer flexibility without disrupting their winning formula.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the Phoenix Suns continue their incredible start to the season, one name on the roster stands out as an early trade candidate: Monte Morris. The Suns, sitting at an impressive 8-2, have shown depth and versatility, with new head coach Mike Budenholzer refining rotations and roles. Morris, however, finds himself on the outside looking […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":106420,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,30,28],"tags":[311,352,550,2157,4975,98,1382,49305,569],"class_list":["post-106377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-mavericks","category-suns","tag-bradley-beal","tag-devin-booker","tag-mike-budenholzer","tag-monte-morris","tag-nba-contracts","tag-nba-draft","tag-nba-trade","tag-ryan-dunn","tag-tyus-jones"],"modified_by":"Eamon Cassels, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106377"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106377\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/106420"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}