Knicks Sign Long-Time Veteran Marcus Morris
The New York Knicks continued a working weekend on Sunday, announcing the signing of longtime NBA veteran Marcus Morris to an Exhibit 9 deal, which essentially gives a team waiving protection in the event of a preseason injury.
Morris, who turned 35 two weeks ago, is back in New York, having spent 43 games of the 2019-20 season in Manhattan. He averaged a career-best 19.6 points in New York, which featured a 38-point performance in a January loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Ironically enough, Morris was later sent west to LA in a multi-pronged deal that saw the Knicks acquire Mo Harkless.
More recently, Morris spent parts of the last four seasons between Los Angeles and Philadelphia, as he was traded to the 76ers at the onset of the 2023-24 campaign in the famed James Harden deal. Morris was dealt once again at the trade deadline, this time going to San Antonio before he was waived and picked up by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Originally signing a 10-day in Cleveland, Morris was signed for the rest of the campaign and partook in nine playoff games, even starting one.
Since entering the Association as the 14th overall pick of the 2011 draft out of Kansas, Morris has averaged 6.4 points on just over 43 percent shooting. In addition to the Knicks, Clippers, Sixers, and Cavaliers, he has also registered minutes with Houston, Phoenix, Detroit, and Boston.
The Knicks spent this weekend filling out the final portions of their camp lineup, previously picking up Landry Shamet on a similar Exhibit 9 deal. Like Shamet, Morris could well prove his worth as an outside shooter if he makes the final New York roster, as he sank 40.3 percent of his tries from three last year between Philadelphia and Cleveland.
Unlike an Exhibit 10, Morris will be ineligible to pick up a two-way contract, which the Knicks have since bestowed the Jacob Toppin and rookie Ariel Huporti and Kevin McCullar.