Washington Paid a Protected First for Markieff Morris
On February 18, 2016, Washington acquired forward Markieff Morris from Phoenix, sending Kris Humphries, DeJuan Blair and a future first-round draft pick protected through the top nine. The choice ultimately conveyed at No. 13 in the 2016 draft, associated with center Georgios Papagiannis. Morris had spent several seasons as a prominent Suns forward but his relationship with the team had soured after an earlier roster reshuffle involving his twin brother. Washington needed another scoring power forward to share the floor with John Wall and Bradley Beal. Phoenix accepted two veterans and a significant draft asset rather than keeping a disgruntled starter. The distinction between the protected No. 13 choice and the player eventually selected is important: the Suns subsequently used the draft rights in other transactions and should not be credited with an entire Papagiannis NBA career.
Morris Became a Starting Forward on a Playoff Team
Morris joined the Wizards during the 2015-16 season and quickly became a regular part of their frontcourt. His larger contribution came in 2016-17, when he started throughout a 49-win Washington season and averaged about 14 points and more than six rebounds per game. The Wizards reached the second round and pushed Boston to seven games, with Morris filling an important defensive and offensive role alongside Wall and Beal. He remained in Washington for additional seasons, meaning the acquisition was much more than a six-week rental. The original C+ Wizards grade is conservative compared with his eventual starting role, but it recognizes that the club gave up a real first-round pick. His later Detroit and Los Angeles seasons should not be folded into Washington’s direct return.
Phoenix Received a Pick With Substantial Draft-Day Value
Humphries and Blair were experienced interior players but did not give Phoenix a long-running new starting frontcourt. The No. 13 first-round choice, by contrast, was valuable enough to become part of the 2016 draft-night maneuvering that brought another lottery prospect into the Suns system. That pick had genuine value even if the team did not keep the rights to the player originally named at No. 13. Phoenix’s B inherited grade exceeds Washington’s C+, while the canonical verdict says Wizards Win. This winner-and-grade disagreement needs separate source-led regrading rather than silently changing the historical record. The basketball comparison is several Washington starting seasons from Morris versus two incoming reserves and a high draft selection that Phoenix could redeploy. Both sides had meaningful returns on different timelines.
Final Verdict
Wizards Win in the inherited verdict, although Phoenix earns B and Washington C+. The Wizards acquired Markieff Morris, an established 2016-17 starting forward, while Phoenix received Kris Humphries, DeJuan Blair and a top-nine-protected first that became No. 13 in 2016. The discrepancy between winner label and grades warrants review.