New York Knicks forward Marcus Morris and San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich let bygones be bygones during Wednesday's season opener, as the two men hugged it out after a controversial free agency stint.
“It was a great moment,” Morris said of his hug with Popovich, according to Garrett Stepien of SNY. “Going back and like I said in the beginning, me and Pop had open conversations the entire time. And the thing he said to me was don't allow the media to come in between of what we talked about. That meant a lot. I didn't know how he felt. I spoke to him after I made my decision. So it was good to clear the air and I got nothing respect for him, Brian Wright, RC. They've been nothing but good to me during my career.”
Morris has originally agreed to sign a two-year, $20 million deal with the Spurs, a move for which the franchise had to sacrifice Davis Bertans to make work. Once the New York Knicks reworked Reggie Bullock's contract to adjust for an injury problem, the Knicks opened up the necessary cap space to sign Morris to a one-year, $15 million deal — an offer that he took while leaving the Spurs dry and empty-handed.
Popovich was reportedly not happy with what took place, believing Morris and the franchise had a gentlemen's agreement — one he walked back for the sake of a better salary and more freedom heading into the 2020 free agency.
The longtime Spurs coach was asked prior to the game if the Knicks handled his acquisition unprofessionally, giving a nebulous, but swift answer that in his mind, they did — keeping the criticism away from Morris.
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