Markieff Morris, who was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks along with Doncic and Maxi Kleber, admitted he was surprised by the deal, but perhaps not by the reason one would imagine.

It has been a while since the last time veteran NBA big man Markieff Morris was a significant on-court contributor to a team. He has not averaged more than 10 minutes a game since the 2022-23 season.

The 35-year-old Morris, who won a world championship with the Lakers in 2020, on Tuesday spoke in support of the 25-year-old Doncic, who has been subject to reports he’s not in great physical condition.