Report: Markieff Morris will travel to Orlando to join the Lakers

Markieff Morris is reportedly preparing to join the Lakers in Orlando after not traveling with the team on July 9 due to an excused absence. The forward will be forced to self-quarantine before he is able to join the team for the resumed season.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that Morris will be traveling Tuesday, while his twin brother Marcus had his first practice with the Clippers Tuesday morning. Marcus told ESPN that his brother will be joining the Lakers soon.

Markieff would add some welcome depth to the Lakers rotation as they head into the playoffs, as the Lakers are missing a few key contributors as they finish out the season. Avery Bradley chose not to come to Orlando, while Rajon Rondo is expected to miss significant time after breaking his thumb. Markieff joined the Lakers after being bought out by the Detroit Pistons in February, playing eight games for Los Angeles while averaging 4.8 points and 3.3 rebounds.

The NBA season is set to resume on July 30, though the Lakers will likely treat the rest of the regular season more like training camp than actual games, as they currently hold the top seed in the Western Conference. Still, getting Markieff the opportunity to play with his new teammates should be a priority for the Lakers, as he has played less than 10 games with the team. If Markieff is able to mesh well with the team, it could prove to be a huge boost to the Lakers' title chances.