Lakers are making a Markieff Morris realization that Mavericks fans already miss

The Dallas Mavericks' injury struggles continued in their game on Monday night against the Sacramento Kings, as Daniel Gafford went down with a right knee sprain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Dallas' frontcourt injuries have been unbelievably unlucky this season, but their injuries are only part of the problem right now.

On February 1, Dallas traded Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a first-round pick, and Mavericks fans have been furious ever since this trade happened. It's unfathomable that the Mavericks would even consider the franchise cornerstone, and despite Davis having an incredible debut, he too is now injured and could miss significant time.

Mavs fans are missing Doncic more than ever right now, and these same fans also miss Morris, who despite not playing much in Dallas, he was a major fan favorite and an outstanding leader. Losing him in this trade hasn't been talked about much, and his presence not in the locker room is something that the team will miss over the final stretch of the season and into the playoffs.

Lakers are already noticing Morris' elite leadership

Morris was a steady voice in the locker room when the Mavs needed some guidance, and he is never afraid to stand up for his teammates. His value stretches way beyond the hardwood at this point in his career, and Lakers fans are already starting to notice that.

On the day of Doncic, Kleber, and Morris' Lakers introductory press conference, Morris was asked about some of the negative things that had been said about Doncic during his time with the Mavericks, and he didn't hold back when defending his teammate.

"That's a great guy, man," Morris said. "Super low maintenance, don't need much. One of the only guys that I've been on the team with that will play through any injury if he can get on the court. I hear stuff about him not being in shape, but if you can go in an NBA game and get 30, 15, and 10 like it's nothing then I don't really know what shape is."

Lakers fans quickly saw the side of Morris that Mavericks fans quickly grew to love and cherish, and the rough patch that they are going through right now could be helped with him on the roster. Not only are they extremely thin in the frontcourt, but they also need some positivity coming from the locker room as everything that possibly could go wrong recently has gone wrong.

Lakers fans are already beginning to realize how impactful Morris can be to the team just with his leadership, energy from the bench, and intensity, and he is truly a loyal teammate. The Lakers already know what Morris brings on and off the floor, as he won a championship with Los Angeles in 2020, and having him back for this end-of-season push alongside Doncic is a perfect recipe for success.

Morris and Doncic shared tremendous mutual respect during their time in Dallas, and that same respect and friendship now gets to live on in Los Angeles.