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The New York Knicks fired president Steve Mills on Tuesday. Per Adrian Wojnarowski, the decision has changed the situation with Marcus Morris as the trade deadline approaches.
Morris is available for trade. A free agent at season’s end, there’s little sense in the Knicks keeping hold of Morris beyond Thursday. Morris is having a career year, shooting just under 44% from three and averaging nearly 20 points per night. He’s grabbing 5.4 boards per game, too.
Able to play the three or the four, and maybe even take minutes as a small-ball five on occasion, Morris has been the Knicks’ best player this season. He is a plus-defender, physical against bigger players and with the footwork to deal with more nimble wings. The former Celtic ranks 13th in ESPN’s real plus-minus among small forwards, ahead of Gordon Hayward and Brandon Ingram.
The Los Angeles Clippers pursued Morris in the offseason and are one of the best fits for him ahead of the trade deadline. The Clips’ first-round pick, Maurice Harkless and JaMychal Green would likely be enough to get the deal done, allowing the Knicks to add to their already enormous warchest of picks.
Morris would be an upgrade on Harkless and Green at the four on both ends of the floor. The Clippers are likely to trade their first-round pick to improve their title chances in 2020, and Morris seems like a good fit.
Although it’s a longshot, a trade could fit with the Indiana Pacers. Indiana’s backcourt has the potential to be one of the best in the league – Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner have the center minutes locked down. A forward with Morris’ defensive capabilities might be valuable to them. Justin Holiday and Doug McDermott have the salary to make such a trade work. It’s far from the most likely Morris trade, as they would be losing over 40 minutes per night from Holiday and McDermott, but it could be an option if they see an opening in the Eastern Conference.
There’s an option of a Los Angeles Lakers deal, too. DeMarcus Cousins, Quinn Cook and Avery Bradley have the combined salary for a deal, but the Knicks would likely ask for Kyle Kuzma. Morris provides shooting that the Lakers would be more than happy to add. Other than that, though, his fit is questionable for a team that needs backcourt help.
Wayne Ellington and Reggie Bullock, despite both struggling from the perimeter this season, are two Knicks players that make much more sense. Neither are likely to be wearing purple and gold this week.
Morris is a valuable player. The sort of player that teams will give up proper assets for. The Knicks should be looking to trade him – he could be one of the most important pieces to move before the deadline.
