As the New York Knicks look to rebuild through free agency, smaller names such as Marcus Morris and Terry Rozier begin to surface.
It is well known that the New York Knicks have been interested in Celtics star Kyrie Irving. While keeping an eye on him their heads have also been turned to other Celtics players. Multiple league sources have told NBC Sports Boston that the Knicks have had a constant interest in Marcus Morris and Terry Rozier.
Marcus Morris has been a solid player throughout his time in the league. He plays a tough, old school brand of basketball that is much to the liking of the Knicks. Morris does whatever he can for his team and fights on every possession.
To further his offseason stock, Morris saw one of the best years of his career during the 2018-19 season. He shot a career-best 44.7% from the field while averaging 13.9 points per game. The Philadelphia native also featured a career-best 6.1 rebounds per game.
Morris also showcased a strong postseason, helping lead the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Morris averaged 13.7 points per game on 51.9% shooting. He complimented this with deadly three-point shooting (45%) and 8.1 rebounds per game. This was by far the most efficient postseason of his career, demonstrating that he is becoming a smarter player.
Morris’s efficiency, rebounding and scoring ability would make him a solid pick up for the Knicks this offseason. If New York is not able to land a solid power forward in the draft or free agency, Morris would be an upgrade over Noah Vonleh. Acquiring Morris would give the Knicks quality depth at the forward position.
For Terry Rozier, the Knicks will want to obtain “Scary Terry” from two years ago. Due to Kyrie Irving suffering an injury in the 2017-2018 season, Rozier was able to start. In Irving’s absence, Rozier absolutely exploded, garnering him the nickname.
As a postseason starter, the Lousiville product put up 16.5 points per game on 40.6% shooting. He complemented this with a career-best 5.7 assists per game. The best part of his immaculate run is that he brought a young Celtics core to Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Unfortunately for Rozier, he saw a bit of dip in his production this past year. However, this can be attributed to his lack of playing time. If the Knicks acquire him, Rozier could be slated for a bigger role if the team does not get a top-tier guard this offseason.
While Marcus Morris and Terry Rozier are not the kind of stars the Knicks are aiming for this offseason, they could make solid consolation prizes. Overall, the Knicks will look to get bigger fish such as Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Zion Williamson—if they win the No. 1 pick on Tuesday.
