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With the February 6 trade deadline looming, Marcus Morris' name has been mentioned in a plethora of rumours as of late. After signing a one-year, $15 million deal with the New York Knicks in the off-season, his breakout year has seen him average a career-high 19 points and 5.5 assists per game, on an astounding 47% shooting from beyond the arc.
Unarguably, the veteran swingman has been playing the best basketball of his career and as expected, teams are lining up to formulate trade packages for his services. Moreover, he is posting such impressive numbers despite playing at small forward position (although best suited to be a power forward) on a team that does fairly little in terms of spacing.
The vet mentor has kept the Knicks competitive so far, even if their 11-32 (0.256) win-loss record suggests otherwise.
From an individual standpoint, Morris can be the final piece of the puzzle for teams looking to make the final leap. In this piece, we will look at three franchises that would benefit the most from a Marcus Morris trade before All-Star break.
#1 Los Angeles Lakers
More often than not, the Los Angeles Lakers have found themselves searching for a third reliable scorer down the stretch. When we look past LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma's 12.9 ppg just doesn't resonate championship caliber for the near future.
The Lakers are currently leading the West with an imposing 34-8 (0.810) record, and are a locked in to make a deep postseason run. The inclusion of Morris will provide a reliable vocal presence on the court, and alleviate huge offensive pressure off LeBron and Davis' shoulders.
Moreover, Morris' outside shooting prowess has been more lethal and effective than any player on the entire Lakers roster this season.
We know playoff Bron will be in full effect come April, but we also know that he is more injury prone in his career that he ever was. So when push comes to shove, the Lakers need a secondary tough veteran presence to score and lead while AD continues to do his thing.
#2 Philadelphia 76ers
After undergoing surgery on his left hand, Joel Embiid is scheduled to miss considerable time as his team continues to slip on the East standings; they are currently 28-16 (0.636), at the 6th spot.
The Sixers could use some reinforcements heading into the second half of the season, and Marcus Morris seems like a fair bid right now. With Al Horford not having been as effective as was initially expected, Morris can play the four.
Given the 30-year-old's hot shooting streak and a neck injury that has been bothering him all season, now is the time for Philly to make the final move before the newfound star fades away. He can shoot and is tough enough to play center, while also shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 82.2 percent from the free-throw line.
With Embiid expected to be out till All-Star break, the Sixers are unlikely to enter to the playoffs as a top-4 seed in the East. And they would need a spark like Morris to make a promising run.
#3 Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are headed in the right direction and are advancing fast. Ja Morant has been the perfect transition from the Conley-Gasol era, as the team finds itself comfortably inside the playoff picture - with a lot of exciting talent in store for the future.
The Grizzlies can fabricate a package involving Jae Crowder and picks to lure in Marcus Morris, if they really want to go for gold in Ja's very first season. Matching salaries would be an issue but Memphis possess the room to make adjustments and can emerge as a dark horse in the bid to land the veteran swingman.
The Grizzlies' three-point shooting is not even top 10 in the league, and considering they will head into the postseason as a 7th or 8th seed, they will need a solid power forward who is scoring more than anyone on their current roster.
Jaren Jackson's paint presence and Morris' outside shooting will space the floor well for Memphis, also opening multiple driving lanes for an explosive Ja Morant.
Guess the Lakers players!
