Former Kansas men's basketball star arrested for unpaid casino debt

A former Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball player was arrested over the weekend. His agent said it was because of an unpaid debt at a casino.
Feb 21, 2011; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Marcus Morris (22) drives to the basket against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first half at Allen Fieldhouse.
Feb 21, 2011; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Marcus Morris (22) drives to the basket against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. | Peter G. Aiken-Imagn Images

On Sunday, July 27, former Kansas men's basketball star Marcus Morris Sr. was arrested in Broward County, FL. His brother Markieff Morris confirmed that the arrest had taken place, and Marcus's agent Yony Noy also commented on the issue.

Morris was reportedly arrested on a "fraud charge," but his brother claimed that the reason behind the arrest was "crazy." Markieff posted on social media, saying that people had yet to hear the "real story."

"The wording is crazy," Markieff said. "D––, for that amount of money, they’ll embarrass you in the airport with your family. They got y’all really thinking bro did some fraud s––. They could have came to the crib for all that. When y’all hear the real story on this s–– man. All I can say is Lesson learned. Bro will tell y’all tomorrow. This weird s–– gave me a headache. Can’t stop nothin!"

In response, Noy retweeted Markieff's original post, supporting the idea that there was no actual existence of fraud, and instead, the arrest stemmed from an unpaid debt.

"Just so everyone understands, this is zero fraud here or whatever crap outlets have said regarding fake checks or whatever the hell," Noy said. "This is due to an outstanding marker with a casino. Apparently, if you have over $1,200, they can issue a warrant for your arrest. Absolute insanity!"

Morris played for Kansas from 2008 through 2011 before going on to become the No. 14 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, going to the Houston Rockets.

Over the last 13 seasons, Morris has played for seven other NBA franchises after being traded from the Rockets in 2014. Most recently, Morris played for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2024 season.

The former Jayhawk has yet to comment on the situation.