The sunny skies, perpetual stellar regular season records, and championship aspirations that are associated with the LA Clippers – have become home to Marcus Morris Sr. over the past three seasons.
Yet, despite Morris becoming a salient piece to the Clippers championship puzzle, he appears ready to move on.
Marcus Morris leaving a trail of breadcrumbs
After Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers suffered through another bitter and early exiting during the 2022 playoffs, a thought-provoking piece emerged, urging the 76ers to take a long and strong look at the possibility of adding Morris to their roster. While skilled offensively, Morris, in essence, could be used as a player to toughen Philadelphia’s roster.
At first glance, the initial piece could be viewed as inconsequential. However, it undoubtedly caught the attention of Morris. Just a few days after the release of the story, Morris pressed the like button on his Twitter account, seemingly agreeing with the author’s sentiments.
If it’s a trade that Morris truly desires, the Clippers should acquiesce to his demands. With only two years remaining on his contract at a modest $33 million, Morris is a moveable asset. In years past, the thought of shipping Morris to another destination was a nonstarter. Nevertheless, the Clippers are not only mired in cap space hell but with the additions of Robert Convington and Norman Powell, along with the emergence of both Terance Mann and Reggie Jackson, Morris becomes expendable.
Last season, with Paul George missing 51 regular season games and Kawhi Leonard skipping out on the entire year, Morris stepped up nicely in their absence. The longtime vet poured in 15.4 points on 43.4% shooting. While his numbers were solid, his production drops off significantly when both of LA’s star players are in the lineup.
In Morris’s first season in LA playing third fiddle, he averaged a meager 10.1 points a night. In year two, Morris improved his numbers, dropping 13.4 points a game. With the plethora of offensive options at LA’s disposal, Morris could find himself lost as he won’t be allowed to massage the ball and get into his offensive groove.
An exit stage left could be in Morris’s future. If so, it appears as though Philadelphia is his preferred destination.