Knicks Rumors: Marcus Morris Declined Camp Contract After Being Waived for KAT Trade

Veteran forward Marcus Morris reportedly rejected a training camp contract with the New York Knicks after he was waived for salary cap purposes as part of the trade that brought Karl-Anthony Towns to the Big Apple and sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

Morris, facing a roster crunch in New York, instead will hit free agency and look to join another team before the start of the 2024-25 season, per that report.

The Knicks now have options down on the block in Towns, Mitchell Robinson, Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims, while OG Anunoby will operate as the starting 4. Morris might have been able to make the roster, but cracking the rotation as a backup 4 or small-ball center would have been a tougher task.

The 35-year-old appeared in 37 games for the Philadelphia 76ers and 12 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, averaging 6.4 points and 2.7 rebounds between the two teams in 16.7 minutes per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 40.3 percent from three.

He also played in nine games for the Cavs during the postseason, putting up 6.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

At this point in his career, Morris is more likely to be an option at the back of a rotation than he is to play a prominent role for a team. Still, his defensive versatility and ability to hit shots from the perimeter makes him a solid option in a limited role.

Both Morris and Landry Shamet were signed to Exhibit 9 deals in mid-September, non-guaranteed deals that were essentially a training camp invite. Once Morris was waived as part of the Towns deal, however, he seemingly turned down that same offer given New York’s strong collection of frontcourt options.