Mavericks veteran hints that team was 'close' to signing underrated free agent

The most underrated part of the Kyrie Irving trade is the fact that they acquired Markieff Morris as well.

After battling a couple of nagging injuries during the back stretch of the 2022-23 season after he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, Dallas decided to bring him back on a one-year deal. Little did Mavs fans know that Morris would make an immeasurable impact in his first full season with the team.

Morris became the voice of the locker room alongside Irving, and his leadership paid dividends all season long. He was often the one to speak up when things weren't going Dallas' way, and the Mavs appreciated his impact so much that they signed him to another one-year deal this offseason.

Dallas views Morris as someone who is crucial to their success due to his impact from the bench, and he recently dove into how the Mavs were "close" to signing a free agent who he happens to be quite close with.

Markieff Morris reveals Mavericks were 'close' to signing Marcus Morris

Morris tried to recruit his brother Marcus to the Mavericks this offseason, and although the Mavs showed interest in him, they never pulled the trigger and signed him to a deal. According to Markieff, Marcus seems to have been in Dallas' crosshairs.

At Media Day, Markieff was asked if the Mavs signing Marcus was "close."

"Yes and no," Markieff said. "It's always close until it's time to sign."

The Mavs signing Marcus would give them some needed depth at power forward, but there wasn't much room on the roster to begin with. Markieff isn't even officially on the 15-man roster heading into the preseason, but the Mavs could waive A.J. Lawson to make room for him.

Having Marcus join the Mavs and team up with Markieff would have been a fun move by Dallas, and it would have allowed the brothers to team up once again. Marcus is a proven veteran and a solid scorer, and he could have brought more leadership alongside his brother.

Last season, Marcus averaged 6.4 points per game while shooting 40.3 percent from downtown, and he currently is a free agent.

Free agency always throws plenty of curveballs, and regardless of how "close" the Mavs were to signing him, it seems like they definitely had an eye on him this summer. It's nearly impossible that Marcus will be a Mav by the start of the season considering they already have a full roster, but they could explore signing him later in the season if he remains a free agent.

Markieff is well respected by everyone in the organization and all of his teammates, and Dallas could at least take a look at signing Marcus if they end up having an open roster spot in the middle of the season.