Trading Marcus Morris the only course of action for New York Knicks
Marcus Morris might be contributing to the New York Knicks in the present, but the same can’t be said down the line when the team truly hopes to compete.
There’s been chatter surrounding New York Knicks forward Marcus Morris over the last few weeks for several interesting reasons.
For starters, the eighth-year forward is averaging career-highs with 19.1 points per game on 46.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc, including a career-best 38 points against the LA Clippers on Sunday.
Conversely, ever since all 2019 free-agent signings became eligible to be traded on Dec. 15, Morris has split Knicks fans into two distinct groups: Those who prefer to keep him around and others in favor of trading him in exchange for assets.
There’s always something to be said for a player who wants to tough it out through the lows for a chance to contribute to the potential highs.
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Morris has expressed a desire to remain a Knick even among the rumors of potential contenders vying for his services — one would assume that to be the case after the fan club he created in San Antonio.
But as the deadline inches closer — Feb. 6, to be exact — and the calls become more frequent, it’s important for the Knicks to remember the timeline they’re — allegedly — working on.
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At 30 years of age, Morris doesn’t exactly fit the timeline of a young Knicks core headlined by RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson, which would be tolerable if he didn’t command a yearly salary north of $15 million.
New York values the precious cap space it worked so desperately to acquire. Why would the front office tighten some of that flexibility for a player who moves the needle only much in the grand scheme of their quest back to relevance, especially when his trade value is at an all-time high?
Is the return package for Morris going to rapidly accelerate New York’s rebuild? It isn’t likely to be more than a first-round pick and salary filler, so no, not really. But rebuilding an NBA team is a step-by-step process, with some being larger than others.
Assuming that first-round — or maybe multiple second-rounders — pick doesn’t turn into the next Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green, it now becomes a piece within the Knicks’ collection of assets.
While not sexy, it’s the accumulation of assets like draft picks and financially team-friendly talent that would make it easier for the Knicks to make a worthwhile deal at a more sensible time, perhaps when the prospects in Madison Square Garden are on the come up.
A Morris deal could still be on the table down the line if he were to remain in New York for several years, but the combination of current production and money — just $15 million over one year — make this the ideal time to sell high.
Those who argue to keep him around are likely the same who applauded the Knicks for closing out the 2014-15 season with two wins in their last three games — not that rooting for the opposite would have any effect on the outcome.
Competitive respectability is something worth admiring and is easy to celebrate in the present moment when most expected the team to embrace the tank and slog to the finish line.
When it winds up being the difference between Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis, fundamentally altering the future of the franchise in a significant way? Not so much.
Morris fell into the Knicks’ lap almost by accident and he’s been better than they could’ve ever hoped for.
However, he’s no Giannis Antetokounmpo or LeBron James. New York is still 10-26, so what exactly is he contributing to?
The Knicks aren’t playing for now. They’re building for the future. If that truly is the case, they’ll sacrifice the minimal short-term gain from Morris’ presence to better serve themselves when what’s at stake is hopefully much more significant.