Marcus Morris is a name to watch at the trade deadline because he is the most valuable chip on the Knicks’ roster, a gritty but also floor-spacing four that could help a team in the postseason.
The Clippers and 76ers have both expressed interest, reports Mark Berman of the New York Post.The Clippers, who play host to the Knicks on Sunday at Staples Center, reportedly have interest in Morris, though they have a dearth of draft picks following the trade for Paul George...
According to a source, the 76ers also have some interest in Morris as a solid two-way forward bench piece. Morris’ hometown team is on a championship-or-bust mission. Perhaps that would pique Morris’ interest more than L.A.
The Knicks might be able to get a first-round pick for Morris, and the Clippers have their 2020 first available to make a deal work (although that pick will be in the 20s). The Sixers can throw in multiple second-round picks, this season and beyond. For either team to make the financials work, it would likely involve a third team with some cap space to absorb salary, which would be Atlanta.
All of which is to say, it’s not easy to put together a Morris trade. It’s also not impossible.
Morris is a veteran who has seen his name on the rumor mill plenty, so his reaction was understandably a verbal shrug.
The veteran forward is leading the Knicks scoring 18.5 points per game, he’s grabbing 5.4 boards a game, and he’s spacing the floor shooting 45.4 percent from three. He’s a physical defender — exactly the kind of player teams want on their side in the playoffs.