With rumors circulating that the LA Clippers may have interest in Marcus Morris, we take a look at how he would fit with the current roster.
Free agency is still 26 days away, but that doesn’t mean the rumors haven’t already started. In his piece earlier today surrounding possible trade packages for Anthony Davis, Shams Charania left a little nugget that the LA Clippers, along with the Lakers, Knicks, Kings and Bulls, would possibly pursue unrestricted free agent Marcus Morris.
Morris has been on the Boston Celtics the past couple of seasons and has had decent success. For this year, he averaged 13.9 points on 44.7% shooting, which included a solid 37.5% on 5.2 attempts from deep. He also grabbed 6.1 rebounds per game and chipped in 1.5 assists.
While the numbers are solid, it’s important to remember that Morris started the season extremely hot and then came crashing back to earth. This isn’t to say he’s done for, but the numbers might not tell the entire story.
If the Clippers were able to sign him, it would likely be in a similar role to what JaMychal Green had this season. Standing 6’9″, Morris is the prototypical stretch forward. He’s never afraid to shoot the ball and would fit well with the fast pasted, offensive minded bench unit composed of Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell. Morris would offer spacing to the bench unit which would give Williams another option when running the pick-and-roll with Harrell.
His personality also fits in well with the team’s culture. Morris is known around the league as one of the tougher players, so adding him to a team that featured Patrick Beverley last season only makes sense. If Beverley is brought back, the two could become one of the biggest nuisance combinations in the league.
If the Clippers are able to bring in the likes of Kawhi Leonard or Kevin Durant, Morris becomes even more valuable. He’s good enough to drag defenders away from the paint, leaving room for drives to the basket. As part of his tough guy attitude, he’s willing to do the dirty work which is something that is always needed from role players.
JaMychal Green seems to want to come back to the Clippers, but if the two sides cannot agree, Marcus Morris seems like a solid piece to replace him, assuming the money is right.