Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris' last calendar year hasn't been an especially good one in terms of public image.
On the court, he was called for 15 technical fouls last season (only Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook was whistled for more), and he got into a shouting match on the bench with coach Jeff Hornacek during a game.
He also called out Suns fans for a lack of support following a blowout home loss to the Spurs.
Off the court, Markieff Morris and his twin brother Marcus, the latter of whom the Suns traded in June, were charged with felony aggravated assault stemming from an incident in January.
Markieff wasn't happy with his brother's trade, and has gone as far as to demand a trade of his own.
But on Suns media day Monday, the Suns' 2011 first-round draft pick set a different tone.
"I want to be here," Markieff Morris said. "I don't really want to talk about what happened this summer. I just really want to look forward to this upcoming season. I'm glad to be back with my teammates and glad to be back with the team."
Morris didn't provide details about conversations he's had with Hornacek and Suns management.
"That's between us, and we're going to deal with it," he said.
Markieff Morris is one of the Suns' most valuable contributors, and his stats have improved in each of his NBA seasons. His 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last season were career highs.
Markieff said he plans to continue improving despite the absence of Marcus Morris, whom the Suns had acquired in a trade in early 2013.
"I've gotten better every year I've been in the league, and I'm going to continue to get better with or without my brother," he said.
