New York Knicks starters Marcus Morris and Frank Ntilikina have been upgraded to “questionable” as they hope to play in Thursday night's game against the Phoenix Suns:
Marcus Morris and Frank Ntilikina have been upgraded to questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Suns. Dennis Smith Jr remains out.
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) January 15, 2020
Ntilikina (groin) has missed each of New York's last two games, while Morris (neck) has registered five consecutive inactives.
Both players have made significant strides this season, though Ntilikina and Morris are on the opposite side of the career spectrum.
Ntilikina has improved as an offensive player while holding it down as New York's best perimeter defender. Meanwhile, Morris is currently the Knicks' leading scorer.
The 30-year-old is averaging a career-high 19.1 points per game to go along with 5.5 rebounds. Morris has been a sniper, shooting close to 47 percent from beyond the arc on nearly six attempts per game. His spectacular production and ability to play both forward spots has made him a hot trade commodity.
However, it appears the Knicks are likely to keep Morris in advance of the February trade deadline (via Marc Berman of the New York Post):
According to an NBA source, some members of the front office are leaning toward holding onto Morris at the deadline — unless they get back a star-type player in a large package.
The source said a minor Morris deal that would net a late-first-round pick and force them to take on a non-expiring contract is not an attractive option at this juncture. The Knicks prefer not to diminish their 2020 or 2021 cap space in any deal.
With Morris making $15 million this season, a third team would likely be needed to make the math work. The source said several playoff teams have interest in Morris.
For his part, Morris also indicated he would like to remain in New York.
The Knicks will hope to build some momentum as they kick off the second half of the season against the Suns on Thursday.
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