With the NBA trade deadline only a couple of days away, teams desperate to boost their rosters for their playoff push will be looking to trade for key pieces. New York Knicks forward Marcus Morris is one of the players who are actively being looked at by a couple of contenders.
The value Morris adds to any team easily makes him a prime trade target. Moreover, with the Knicks still far from contending, they could be enticed to trade the veteran forward for more assets.
However, there are A LOT of reasons why the Knicks shouldn't see off one of their most important players. Morris is an invaluable member of the New York franchise, and keeping him might just do more good to the team.
One of the few bright spots of the Knicks offense
Marcus Morris is easily one of the three people who are currently balling out for the Knicks. They have a mess of a roster, so the fact that they have a reliable player who can score buckets when needed is something that the New York badly needs in order to make their basketball somewhat watchable.
The veteran forward is averaging 19.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.4 points. His shooting splits are also superb at 44/44/82. Trading him in the hopes of getting picks in return is not doing any favors in terms of making Knicks a competitive squad.
He can do a lot for RJ Barrett's development
RJ Barrett is easily the great big hope for the Knicks, and he's already showing a lot of promise. However, counting on him to carry New York into the new decade without allowing him to at least learn from a veteran like Morris would be a disservice to his potential.
While Julius Randle is arguably the better player, Morris has him beat in terms of experience. He has played in the NBA longer than Randle, and he has more than a couple of tips that he can share with Barrett.
Letting Barrett learn from Morris for one full season should help his career in the long run.
Morris actually wants to play for the Knicks
The Knicks are far from the big-market draw that they were in the 90s, as proven by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving over free agency. When it's hard to get players to come, it becomes all the more important to keep those players who decide to stay.
Morris wants to remain a Knick over going to a contender, and that kind of loyalty shouldn't be repaid with a trade. Letting him mentor Barrett and the rest of the young Knicks should help the team become better in the long run.
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