Paul Coro

The Arizona Republic

Suns power forward Markieff Morris feels like he has been asked the question 20 times. He probably is right.

On the eve of the NBA trade deadline, it seems more apropos than ever to wonder whether Morris wants to be traded from Phoenix, as he did during the offseason.

“That’s not a question, really,” Morris said Wednesday night when the Suns resumed practice in the first team gathering since a Feb. 10 loss to Golden State.

Morris said he hopes to stay with the Suns, a 14-40 team mired in a 2-24 freefall. He is experiencing having his name rumored in trade deadline talks for the first time in his five-year career. The trade deadline is 1 p.m. (Phoenix time) Thursday.

UPDATE:Markieff Morris traded to Wizards

“Happy where I am now and we’ll see what happens,” Morris said.

“It’s a part of the game. I’ve learned that this past two years. A lot of stuff is going to happen that’s not in my control. All I can do is wait to see if I’m here. If I’m not, I had a couple great years here and I loved it. If I am, keep on moving forward and get better.”

Morris said he spent the All-Star break in Las Vegas, working out with his twin brother, Marcus, at Impact Basketball to stay sharp during a respite that was extended to a week this year. He left the Valley but could not escape the specter of a potential trade.

“Just weighing on my shoulders,” Morris said. “Happy when it’s over.”

It also was difficult to leave behind what happened in the last Suns game, when he and close friend and teammate Archie Goodwin argued and shoved each other during a time out. Unlike his suspension-drawing towel toss at former coach Jeff Hornacek in December, the video for this misstep was widely available and replayed several times nationally.

“It was my mistake,” Morris said. “He (Goodwin) is like my little brother. We don’t hold grudges against each other and we move on. You know what it was and we move on.

“Being as though Archie is like my little brother, I felt more bad about it once I seen it. Because I know how I am. With a little guy once I get mad, it’s like I turn into the Hulk. It’s one of those things with my little brother, so it was a tough thing to actually see me act like that toward somebody that I’ve got a lot of love for.”

Suns interim head coach Earl Watson is not one to dwell in negativity or the past. The issue was not directly addressed Wednesday night but his message to the team for the final 28 games related to what happened.

“We’re staying together and progressing,” Watson said. “We understand things that are acceptable and unacceptable. We understand the accountability of leadership roles. We like the passion. We like what we’re doing. We’re going to continue to build.

“The main thing is we want our young guys and our older guys to continue to mature because maturity never stops. That’s a part of the process. The basketball will take care of itself. The main thing is we want to be unselfish on the court and play together as a team.”

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Price returns to practice

The Suns might not be without a point guard any longer.

Ronnie Price scrimmaged at Wednesday’s practice for the first time since he underwent toe surgery and could play Friday for the first time since Jan. 6.

“I’ve been itching to play,” Price said. “The guys probably thought I was crazy today. It was like a game to me but that’s the only way I know how to play.”

Watson said Price resumed his usual ways in practice, pressuring ball-handlers in the backcourt, turning dribblers and diving for loose balls. He went through all but the last half-hour of Wednesday night’s two-hour practice.

Watson, a former 13-year point guard who retired in 2014, joked that he had been looking into Bill Russell’s player-coach tenure but help is on the way with Price's prospects for Friday looking promising and Brandon Knight doing individual shooting and workouts Wednesday. There is no timetable on Knight’s return.

“He’s moving better,” Watson said. “He’s progressing. The main thing with him will be to bring him along slowly in steps.”

RELATED: Suns hopeful for Brandon Knight return soon

McRae stays

Jordan McRae signed his second 10-day contract with the Suns on Feb. 8 but he can remain with the team through Friday’s game because the deal must include three games. After Friday’s game, the Suns would have to sign McRae, a combo guard, for the remainder of the season in order to keep him.

Shooting guard Orlando Johnson’s first 10-day contract expired because he was on the roster for three Suns games, although he only played in two. He could get a second 10-day contract, depending on the Suns roster situation after Thursday’s trade deadline.

Reach Paul Coro atpaul.coro@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-2470. Follow him at www.twitter.com/paulcoro.