Marcus

Morris Sr.

To clear out the cap space needed to complete the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, the Knicks waived Morris and Chuma Okeke on September 28. The door was open for a potential return, but Morris has reportedly decided to seek out other options. His status will not impact fantasy basketball, as he’s unlikely to be guaranteed rotation minutes wherever he lands.

Morris and Okeke faced long odds to make the Knicks roster, and that was before the reported acquisition of Karl-Anthony Towns. New York needs to clear some cap space for the deal to become official, hence the decision to move on from Morris and Okeke. However, this does not close the door to a potential return, especially in the case of Morris. Neither was in line to offer reputable fantasy value this season.

Morris’ contract is not guaranteed, and he will compete for the Knicks’ final standard contract slot in training camp. That puts him in the same category as Landry Shamet and Chuma Okeke, who have also agreed to non-guaranteed deals with the Knicks. This will be Morris’ second go-round with New York, as he averaged 19.6 points per game during the 2019-20 season before being traded to the Clippers at the February deadline. Morris is unlikely to impact fantasy basketball if he makes the Knicks’ opening night roster.

With Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Caris LeVert sidelined, the Cavaliers needed additional scoring from someone. Enter Morris, who went off for a season-high 25 points. To say this was a departure from the norm for the veteran center would be an understatement; he scored 30 points total during the regular season and reached double figures once during the postseason (Game 5 against Orlando). Morris will be a free agent this summer, and his days as a reliable fantasy option are in the rear-view mirror.

Wade returned after over two months on the sidelines, and he made an instant impact. The numbers don’t leap off the page, but he provided floor-spacing and meaningful peripheral contributions in his first game back. Marcus Morris Sr. and Tristan Thompson logged just five minutes apiece, and Wade’s return should continue to cut into their playing time. Expect Wade’s playing time to gradually increase as he works his way back into game shape.

Allen is set to miss a third consecutive contest after suffering a rib injury against Orlando in the first round. Evan Mobley will play more minutes at center while Isaac Okoro, Marcus Morris, and Tristan Thomson get a shot to be a larger part of the frontcourt rotation.

Allen missed the final three games of round one, with Isaac Okoro starting twice and Marcus Morris starting once. Okoro started Game 7, so he should start again if Allen is forced to miss the start of this series.

Allen will miss a third straight game, but Isaac Okoro will start in his place for this one. Okoro started Game 5, but Marcus Morris slid into the starting lineup for Game 6. The home team has won every game this series, and Cleveland will look defend their court once again to close out the series.

Allen missed Games 5 and 6 of this series, with the Cavaliers initially considering him questionable for both. If he cannot play in Game 7, who fills the void in the starting lineup is up in the air. While Isaac Okoro was tabbed to do so in Game 5, Marcus Morris Sr. received the starting nod for Game 6.

Cleveland was without Jarrett Allen (ribs) for a second straight game, with coach JB Bickerstaff deciding to go big in Game 6. Unfortunately for the Cavs, the lineup change did not have the desired effect on either end of the floor. Morris grabbed a team-high eight rebounds but shot the ball poorly, and Cleveland still allowed 15 offensive rebounds. Isaac Okoro, who moved to the bench after starting Game 5, finished Friday’s loss with four points, one rebound, one assist, and two blocks in 24 minutes. Morris or Okoro will start Sunday’s Game 7 if Allen cannot play.