Marcus Morris officially has a new team.
The New York Knicks announced Tuesday they’ve acquired the free-agent forward to bolster their roster ahead of the 2019-20 NBA season. Morris joins the Knicks on a reported one-year, $15 million contract following one of the more remarkable free-agency sagas of this offseason. He also signed the same day Reggie Bulluck penned his Knicks contract.
“With Reggie and Marcus we are adding two more versatile, hard-nosed and accomplished players to an already improved roster,” Knicks general manager Scott Perry said. “We value both players’ perimeter shooting ability and their strong presence on the court and in the locker room. We’re excited to have them in New York and are confident they will excel playing for this team under (head) coach (David) Fizdale.”
Morris left the Boston Celtics last month after two seasons with the team. He averaged 13.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 2018-19, serving as a valuable contributor to the team’s unsuccessful efforts to reach the NBA Finals.
His most recent experience in free-agency seems fraught, as he reportedly accepted the San Antonio Spurs’ two-year, $20 million contract offer July 6, then backed out of the agreement with San Antonio five days later in order to pick the deal the Knicks offered him instead. He also reportedly fired Rich Paul as his agent over the weekend for yet-to-be publicized reasons.
Morris now can put recent weeks behind him and focus on helping the Knicks achieve their goals for the season. Doing so will boost his own prospects for a smoother, and more fruitful, bout with free agency next summer.
