Jury finds Marcus Morris not guilty on assault charges

Celtics forward Marcus Morris was found not guilty of aggravated assault charges by a jury in a Phoenix, Arizona courtroom on Tuesday after one day of deliberations.

Morris and his twin brother, Markieff, were accused of attacking an acquaintance (Erik Hood) with several other men outside a Phoenix recreation center back on Jan. 24, 2015. The twins were found not guilty on all charges. 

The Celtics sent assistant general manager and team counsel Mike Zarren out to Arizona last month to keep tabs on the trial and the team has tried to remain supportive of the offseason acquisition throughout the process.

“I think his teammates, Brad and myself have all been in contact,” Ainge explained at media day. “So we’ve been in touch with Marcus continuously throughout the process.”

Both Morris twins faced the possibility of prison time (up to four years) and discipline (at least 10 games) from the league if they were found guilty of the charges. Marcus Morris was expected to contend for a spot in the starting lineup in the frontcourt.

Morris told court reporters in Arizona that he plans to get back to Boston immediately for the remainder of training camp. The Celtics have an off day on Wednesday but likely will have Morris practicing with the team for the first time on Thursday, ahead of team's second preseason game Friday in Philadelphia.