LOS ANGELES _ The decision to trade by the Feb. 6 deadline _ or not to trade _ Marcus Morris will be a defining moment of this Knicks season.
That sounds extreme but this is lining up on opposite ends of the spectrum. On one side, dealing Morris provides the front office an asset (or two) for the future. Logically, it makes tremendous sense. The Knicks aren't going anywhere this season and Morris, 30, will be a free agent in the summer. League executives and scouts believe Morris can retrieve either a first-round pick, two second rounders or a young prospect. Maybe a combination of two of those.
Again, it makes a lot of sense.
However ...
This front office has spent the last two-plus years preaching the importance of being competitive. They gave up very quickly on last season and tanked, becoming the worst team in the NBA and creating an aura of ick. Superstar free agents took notice and avoided the Knicks.
It led to the inevitable conclusion: winning matters.
Dealing Morris, who has been the Knicks' best player this season and leading scorer at 19.1 points per game, risks pushing the bottom to fall out. The Knicks (10-26) most definitely stink, but they're trending in the right direction and shedding Morris could mean the difference between being the NBA's worst again or showing progress with 25-to-30 wins.
Morris has already pledged himself to the Knicks _ a move that shouldn't be taken for granted these days _ and reiterated that again publicly after scoring a career-high 38 points Sunday against the Clippers. Trading him will cast the Knicks as disloyal to their best and most dedicated players. Perception matters.
The Knicks would much rather deal forward Bobby Portis, but Morris is, by far, the team's most valuable expiring contract.
"I love our team. I love our future. I just want to be a part of helping these young guys grow into the great players they're going to be," Morris said. "That was the reason why I made the decision to come here, going back on the decisions I made, along with a lot of other things. I'm here and I enjoy this organization, I enjoy the players they got here and I want to be here longterm."
The Knicks essentially stumbled on the Morris signing, and it turned into their best move of the summer. Originally, team president Steve Mills had used up all his cap space and Morris agreed to sign with the Spurs. But then Reggie Bullock's physical uncovered a neck/back ailment, and his contract was restructured to give the Knicks an opportunity to sign Morris for one year, $15 million.
The Knicks provided Morris a chance to be a No. 1 option, a role he never enjoyed in his eight previous NBA seasons. His 3-point shooting (47%) has been elite. When Morris hasn't played due to injury, the Knicks are 0-3 with a 44-point loss to the Bucks and an embarrassing home defeat to the depleted Wizards.
"The NBA is about opportunities. Being able to go out there and show what I can do," Morris said. "It took me a longer time to get on a team where this was needed. I feel like every team I've been on I've always played my role to the best of my ability."
Of course, there are offers the Knicks simply can't _ and shouldn't � refuse. Any team willing to shell out assets has to view Morris as a means toward title contention, and he's already being linked to both L.A. teams (Clippers and Lakers). The Clippers, who tried to sign Morris in the summer, could offer their 2020 first-round pick. It should fall in the 20s of the draft. The Lakers don't have anymore first-round picks to offer but have reportedly placed intriguing guard prospect Kyle Kuzma on the block.
The Heat, under Pat Riley, are always in a win-now state of mind but are asset-strapped. It can offer a distant first-round pick and/or Justise Winslow. Other teams that could sell themselves on dealing for Morris: the Nuggets (who have a lot of assets), Bucks, Rockets and Sixers.
Still, the Knicks also have to consider that Morris is valuable to them.
"Each game he provides so many things. And I'm not even talking about what you see in the box score," interim coach Mike Miller said. "He's had an astounding year. Every day we come out and keep talking about all the great things he's doing, he just keeps doing better. He just keeps raising it to another level."
