Clippers Rumors: Marcus Morris Won't Be Demoted Despite Offseason Trade Talks

Even though the Los Angeles Clippers tried to trade Marcus Morris over the summer, his playing time won't be impacted when the regular season begins.

Per The Athletic's Law Murray, the Clippers won't drop the 34-year-old from their starting five until he is "moved or declared replaced."

Morris was going to be sent to the Washington Wizards in the original version of the three-team trade involving Kristaps Porziņģis going to the Boston Celtics.

When the deal fell apart because the Clippers had concerns about Malcolm Brogdon's elbow that was injured during the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics pivoted to a different three-team trade for Porziņģis that involved sending Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Once the Clippers decided to bring back Russell Westbrook, it made sense for them to explore trade options involving Morris.

As Murray noted, the Clippers originally brought Morris in to be a third scoring option behind Kawhi Leonard and Paul George because they didn't have a high-usage ball-dominant point guard on the roster.

Westbrook is going to fill that role after a solid performance down the stretch last season. The nine-time All-Star averaged 15.8 points and 7.6 assists per game in 21 starts after signing with the Clippers.

Los Angeles could get something of value in return for Morris if a trade materializes. The 34-year-old is playing this season on an expiring contract with a $17.1 million salary.

Morris has had success in his role as the No. 3 scorer for the Clippers. He's averaged 12.9 points on 39.4 percent three-point shooting in 195 games with the team.