The New York Knicks appear to be headed towards a training camp battle for their final roster spot. Last week, the Knicks agreed to a non-guaranteed camp deal with veteran wing Landry Shamet. And on Sunday, the Knicks continued to add to their camp roster with the singing of veteran forward Marcus Morris Sr. as per Shams Charania of The Atheltic.
Morris' signing with the Knicks is an Exhibit 9 deal as per Ian Begley of SNYtv. Begley also states that Morris has a real shot to make the Knicks regular season roster.
Morris would appear to be competing with Shamet and Chuma Okeke for the Knicks' 15th roster spot. They currently have 14 guaranteed contracts on the roster. Barring any unforeseen trade to consolidate roster spots, or a surprising camp cut, the Knicks could only carry one of those three players into the season. That is assuming the Knicks won't keep the roster spot open for future flexibility.
All three players have varying levels of NBA experience and all three would bring a different skill-set to the court. While it is very late in the offseason, a few quality veterans are still available in NBA free agency.
Marcus Morris' second stint with the Knicks
The Knicks are no stranger to Marcus Morris. He played for the franchise during the first half of the 2019-20 season before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Morris was putting up his best season statistically during his first stint with the Knicks. He averaged a career-best 19.6 points while shooting 43.9 percent from three-point range.
Morris finished last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had joined the Philadelphia 76ers via trade with the Los Angeles Clippers in the James Harden deal. The 76ers then traded him at the deadline to the San Antonio Spurs who bought out his contract. He eventually signed with the Cavs.
Morris appeared in only 12 regular season games for the Cavs averaging 5.8 points and 2.1 rebounds with splits of 44.1 percent shooting from the field, 41.4 percent shooting from the three-point line and 62.5 percent shooting from the free-throw line. In nine playoff games for the Cavs, Morris averaged 6.1 points and 2.8 rebounds with splits of 45.8 percent shooting from the field and 39.1 percent shooting from the three-point line.
Morris' value to a team these days is his ability to space the floor as a stretch forward. He could also play a little small ball center with the right matchup.
