The Philadelphia 76ers have had a strong offseason, but they still face a gap at the power forward position. With limited free-agent options and financial constraints, they might look to fill this void with Marcus Morris Sr.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69636302/1233741471.0.jpg)
According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Sixers are interested in bringing Morris back to the team.
“The team has interest in signing former Sixers power forward and North Philly native Marcus Morris Sr.,” Pompey reported on August 13.
Pompey highlighted why the Sixers should consider re-signing Morris, despite his brief stint with the team.
“After trading him to the San Antonio Spurs on February 8, the Sixers missed the 6-8, 218-pounder’s toughness, leadership, and solid performance. Morris played both power forward and small-ball center when needed, averaging 6.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 17.2 minutes while shooting 40% from three-point range last season.”
While Morris may not be the consistent scorer he once was, he has shown he can still deliver in critical moments, such as his 25-point performance for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics, despite the Cavaliers’ loss.
Morris has connections with some of the current Sixers from his previous time in Philadelphia and is also familiar with Paul George, his former teammate on the Los Angeles Clippers. He recently completed a four-year, $64 million contract.
In an exclusive interview with Pompey, Morris expressed his openness to returning to the Sixers.
“For sure,” Morris said in an August 1 interview. “I built a really good relationship with those guys. Being with [Joel] Embiid, competing against Philly for so long, and then joining their side, it felt different. It felt like something that helped my career. Sometimes you find new motivations after doing this for so long, and being home is one of those for me.”
Morris also spoke about how much he enjoyed being back in his hometown.
“Being home, I just felt so free,” he said. “I felt so much love. So yeah, I would consider coming back. I just hope we can make something happen.”
However, the Sixers aren’t the only team interested in Morris. According to Pompey, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, and Minnesota Timberwolves have also shown interest, with the Dallas Mavericks previously interested before making roster changes.
Pompey noted that the Sixers and Cavaliers are the most appealing options for Morris, though the Cavaliers may have an advantage.
“For Morris’ comfort level, the Sixers and Cavs seem to have the best shot at signing him,” Pompey wrote. “The Sixers can only offer him a one-year veteran-minimum salary of $3.3 million, while sources say the Cavs, who are highly interested, are ready to offer nearly double that amount.”
Like after his buyout from the Spurs, Morris carefully considers his options before making a decision.
