Former LeBron James teammate wants final 76ers roster spot over Kevin Love

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Matthew Couden

By Matthew Couden

Contributing Writer

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The Philadelphia 76ers are still looking to finish their upgraded roster for the coming season, and speculation has suggested that former LeBron James teammate Kevin Love wants a final roster spot.

That would reunite Love with James, after the two played together for the Cleveland Cavaliers and won the NBA championship in 2016 alongside Kyrie Irving.

However, another former who won a championship with James has entered the conversation, as Markieff Morris recently reacted to the news about Love with a message of his own seemingly asking for that roster spot.

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"Shiddd, if it’s anybody getting that last Vet roster spot, it’s gonna be me! Philly raised!!!" Morris wrote in his X message.

Morris played for multiple teams in his career, including the Los Angeles Lakers last season and in 2020 when he won a championship there. James was part of that team, which won the title during the NBA Bubble playoffs at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida.

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Markieff Morris during warmups for the Los Angeles Lakers

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The 6-foot-9 forward was born and raised in Philadelphia and played some of his high school basketball at Philly's Prep Charter, giving him the local ties to the city. He eventually took his skills to the University of Kansas under Bill Self and became a 2011 first-round pick for the Phoenix Suns, and has been a valuable player for many other rosters, including the Lakers.

Morris played in just 15 games in the 2024-25 NBA season, split between the Dallas Mavericks and the Lakers. He averaged 5.5 points, 2.1 assists, and 1.9 rebounds per game in just 15.5 minutes per game with the Lakers, and he was a starter in two of his eight games there.

He could have more left in the tank to contribute, but his history over the past four seasons shows that he hasn't played in more than 27 games in a season. His appearances on the court and numbers started deteriorating after 2019, which is when he suffered an injury that the Wizards reported was transient cervical neuropraxia.

While Morris didn't play last season, Love did for almost half a season. He appeared in 37 games for the Utah Jazz, starting in five, which could give him a nod towards that roster spot if the 76ers decide to go that route. He averaged 6.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game in 16.6 minutes per game for the Jazz last season.

For the 76ers, having a deep bench could be the key to their star-studded starting lineup going on a serious run towards the championship in the coming season, as they certainly assembled impressive talent for the starting five.

However, the initial reports about Love's interest in playing for the 76ers (via ESPN's Dave McMenamin) included the caveat that the 76ers must waive or trade a player to open up that final spot.

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