Marcus Morris Sr., Knicks Agree to Contract in NBA Free Agency; Updated Depth Chart

The New York Knicks have added some depth in free agency as the 2024-25 NBA season nears.

The team announced Sunday that it had signed veteran forward Marcus Morris Sr. to an Exhibit 9 contract after he spent the past season with the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Knicks also signed Landry Shamet to an Exhibit 9 contract, meaning he and Morris will compete for the final roster spot. An Exhibit 9 contract is a non-guaranteed one-year deal that protects the team in case of a significant injury to the player.

With the addition of Morris, here’s a look at how the Knicks depth chart could look when the season begins:

2024-25 New York Knicks Depth Chart

• PG: Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, Tyler Kolek, Cameron Payne
• SG: Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo, Pacome Dadiet
• SF: OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Keita Bates-Diop, Chuma Okeke, Marcus Morris Sr. 
• PF: Julius Randle, Precious Achiuwa
• Mitchell Robinson, Jericho Sims, Ariel Hukporti

While Morris has certainly taken on a lesser role over the past few seasons, he could be a valuable veteran on a young Knicks roster. He averaged 6.4 points and 2.7 rebounds per game last season, playing 16.7 minutes per contest.

In the postseason, he put up 6.1 points and 2.8 rebounds, including a 25-point outing in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics.

His competition for the final roster spot, Shamet, spent last season with the Washington Wizards, where he put up 7.1 points and 1.2 assists per game. The two play different roles with Shamet assuming more of a guard position, so the Knicks’ decision on who to keep could come down to who the best fit would be.

The Knicks finished with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference a year ago at 50-32, falling just shy of beating the Indiana Pacers to advance to the Conference Finals. New York is looking to make a jump after reaching the conference semifinals in back-to-back seasons and will hope the addition of either Morris or Shamet would fill another hole.