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The New York Knicks would prefer to keep veteran PF Marcus Morris instead of dealing him before the 2020 NBA Trade Deadline, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported. The Knicks are in the midst of another lost season and are towards the bottom of the East at 10-24. Morris spurned the San Antonio Spurs in the offseason and decided to jump to the Knicks on a one-year deal. Morris has expressed that he would prefer to stay put in New York, per the report, and apparently the Knicks feel the same way.
The issue here is Morris has a TON of trade value on the open market. He’s got a ton of playoff experience and has played in multiple roles for contending teams, most recently the Boston Celtics. He can guard multiple positions — SF, PF, even C in some instances. He adds a lot of grit and jam to a roster — toughness is coveted by some teams. Plus, he’s averaging 18.3 points per game for New York, which is far and away on pace for a career high in the NBA. I think in the end, it’ll be difficult for the Knicks to not deal Morris.