Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter |
The Knicks' pursuit of Marcus Morris has paid off.
League sources confirmed to SNY that Morris plans to sign a one-year deal with the Knicks worth roughly $15 million.
SNY reported earlier on Thursday that the Knicks believed that obtaining Morris as a free agent and re-working Reggie Bullock's deal was a likely scenario, per sources.
Both the Knicks and Bullock expected on Thursday to reach an amended agreement with Bullock and they have a $4.7 million exception and the veteran's minimum exception to offer Bullock. The medical issue that caused a hiccup is unclear, but Bullock has dealt with plantar fasciitis in the past. The Knicks originally agreed to a two-year, $21 million deal with Bullock that contained a player option in Year Two.
By re-working the agreement with Bullock, the Knicks gave themselves the flexibility to sign Morris to a deal worth $15 million.
ESPN reported that Morris was contemplating backing out of his Spurs agreement and would have interest in New York.
Morris can give New York a veteran presence and toughness on an otherwise very young team. The 29-year-old Morris averaged 13.9 points and 6.1 rebounds in 75 games (53 starts) with Boston last season, while shooting a career-best 44.7 percent from the field as well.
The Athletic first reported his agreement with the Knicks. Morris' previous agreement with San Antonio was for $20 million over two years.
It's not unheard of for a player to renege on a verbal agreement during free agency, but this situation is complex because San Antonio traded forward Davis Bertans to Washington and re-worked an agreement with DeMarre Carroll to sign Morris.
The Knicks see Morris as a strong influence on their younger core, which includes RJ Barrett, Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson and Allonzo Trier.
After missing out on Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving, the Knicks added Wayne Ellington, Taj Gibson, Julius Randle, Bobby Portis and Elfrid Payton in free agency.
The Knicks have an abundance of forwards, but Morris can play both small forward and power forward. Still, it may be a challenge for head coach David Fizdale to delineate minutes and touches among the veterans on short contracts and the young players who the Knicks are looking to develop.