Marcus Morris has endured a roller coaster of an offseason. The former Boston Celtics forward was coming off one of the best seasons in his career in which he averaged 13.9 points, a career-high 6.1 rebounds, and shot 37.5 percent from beyond the arc as a primary starter for the team.
Despite Morris' success, he wasn't expected to return to Boston. Even before the Celtics shifted their attention to Kemba Walker, Morris wouldn't have fit financially with the squad, as the team was trying to figure out ways to retain Al Horford and Kyrie Irving. So, it wasn't a surprise to see Morris go elsewhere on the free-agent market.
What was surprising is how long it took him to find a suitor. Morris stayed on the market for a while before agreeing to a two-year, $20 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs. However, he backed out of that agreement to sign a one-year, $15 million contract with the New York Knicks.
But according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Morris turned down an even more lucrative offer from the Clippers, worth roughly $41 million, earlier in free agency. After that, the Clippers shifted their attention to the trade market and acquired Moe Harkless.
And now, Morris has reportedly fired his agent Rich Paul, per Bondy. Paul, of course, represents many notable NBA clients including LeBron James and Anthony Davis, so seeing Morris part with him is interesting. Perhaps Paul overestimated what Morris would be able to get in a bidding war on the open market, and that led to Morris taking a reduced deal.
That said, it's also possible that Morris could have waited to take a deal in the hopes that he and his twin brother, Markieff, would get a chance to play together once again.
Boston Celtics
Either way, there are a few truths to the story. Morris is now on the Knicks and will get a chance to play the Celtics a handful of times in the upcoming season. And the Celtics never would have been able to keep Morris given the average annual value he received on his contract. So, there shouldn't be any hard feelings when the two sides face off during the 2019-20 season.
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