3 NBA championship contenders who need to sign Marcus Morris after Spurs buyout
By Lior Lampert
At long last, Marcus Morris has officially entered the buyout market.
Morris was sent to the San Antonio Spurs ahead of the NBA trade deadline, which marked his third time being moved this season and has now been bought out by the Spurs according to The Athletic’s Senior NBA insider Shams Charania.
Marcus Morris has agreed to a contract buyout with the San Antonio Spurs to become a free agent, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The productive veteran forward secures playoff eligibility and is now candidate to join a postseason contender. pic.twitter.com/QuBtdE1yuG
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 29, 2024
San Antonio and Morris agreed on a buyout ahead of the Mar. 1 NBA Playoff Eligibility Waiver Deadline, giving him playoff eligibility, per Charania. However, his $17 million pre-buyout base salary for 2024 limits his list of potential destinations under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.
The following teams are ineligible to sign a player waived and had a pre-existing salary of $12.4M+.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 8, 2024
- Golden State
- LA Clippers
- Boston
- Phoenix
- Milwaukee
- Denver
- Miami
Considering the list of teams officially off the table for Morris, these three championship contenders are viable landing spots for the veteran forward.
3. Orlando Magic
Sitting at 33-26 and eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings, the Orlando Magic have been one of the NBA’s best success stories this season. However, their Achilles heel all season long has been their three-point shooting, which Morris could help address instantly were they to pursue him via the buyout market.
Orlando ranks last in the league in the three-pointers made per game in 2023-24 (11.0) and 25th in shooting percentage from beyond the arc (35.4). Their problem isn’t so much a lack of spacing on the floor, but a shortage of capable shooters. In comes Morris, a career 37.7 percent three-point shooter.
Morris would fill a need while also providing the Magic with a reliable veteran who offers frontcourt depth on a team that leaves much to be desired at the forward spots behind star wings Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
Jonathan Isaac has played in a total of 51 games over the past four seasons, sitting out 2020-22 due to an ACL injury, and cannot be relied upon to handle heavy minutes workloads – as reflected by him averaging 14.8 minutes per game this year. Moreover, 36-year-old Joe Ingles can be exposed in certain situations and matchups.
A proven player with a playoff pedigree who offers positional versatility on both ends of the floor and can knock down threes at a consistent rate, Morris checks plenty of boxes for Orlando.