Knicks Could Take Aroldis Chapman Route With A Marcus Morris Deal
The Knicks' potential trade deadline moves became very intriguing today when Steve Mills was relieved of his duties as president of the team.
After Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news, he also reported that Marcus Morris is now available in trade talks. From this report, it seems Mills felt strongly about the franchise holding onto Morris.
Yesterday, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reported that Morris, an unrestricted free agent after this season, would like to stay in New York and land a new deal.
The veteran is having an outstanding year, averaging 19.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. His shooting has also been superb, including from beyond the arc where he is hitting 43% of his attempts.
With Mills no longer President, are the Knicks going to hold onto one of their bright spots from this season or trade him to a contender for assets? If the Knicks end up trading him, it doesn’t necessarily mean Morris will never wear "New York" across his chest again.
Let’s shift gears to baseball for a minute. Back in 2016, the New York Yankees traded their star closer, Aroldis Chapman, to the Chicago Cubs in a deal that included then 19-year-old top prospect Gleyber Torres. The Cubs went onto win the World Series that year. Just months after winning a ring with Chicago, Chapman signed back with the Yankees and is currently their closer.
As for Gleyber Torres, he is already a two-time All-Star and is a key part of a Yankees team that is looking to win it all this year. Letting go of their star closer for a few months clearly was worth it for the Yankees.
Ok, back to the hardwood. So, if the Knicks do trade Morris it could be a win for both parties. Morris gets the chance to compete for or even win an NBA Championship and the Knicks add more young talent to their franchise. Come summertime, if Marcus Morris still wants to be a Knick, and New York wants to negotiate a deal, we could very well see him back in the Garden.
