NBA Rumors: LA Clippers plan to keep Montrezl Harrell and Marcus Morris in free agency

What's the rumor?

Montrezl Harrell and Marcus Morris will hit free agency in the summer, and following excellent seasons, the two players expected to attract plenty of interest on the open market. However, Jovan Buha of The Athletic is reporting that the LA Clippers remain committed to keeping both men.

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"Montrezl Harrell and Marcus Morris are the Clippers’ two best and most important free agents this summer. The organization is interested in re-signing both players this offseason, according to league sources."

In case you didn't know...

Harrell was selected with the 35th overall pick by the Houston Rockets back in 2015 and was sent to Los Angeles as part of the trade for Chris Paul in 2017. After playing limited minutes during his first year with the Clippers, Harrell has developed into a key component of Doc Rivers' team, and the 26-year-old is this season averaging 18.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks in 28.2 minutes per contest.

Meanwhile, Morris joined the Clippers from the New York Knicks ahead of the trade deadline after enjoying the best six-month period of his career. Over 43 appearances for the Knicks, Morris averaged 19.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, while also shooting 43.9 percent from beyond the arc. He has played six-time so far for the Clippers, averaging 11.7 points and 4.2 rebounds.

The heart of the matter

After completing deals for Paul George and Kawhi Leonard last summer, the Clippers no longer have the cap space to pursue big-name free agents, and the front office must prioritize keeping the current roster together. With that said, the Clippers may struggle to match a hug multi-year contract offered by a rival team, and the franchise could be set for a difficult offseason.