Marcus Morris Trade Rumors: 'Multiple Contenders' Still Monitoring Knicks PF

With two weeks remaining before the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline, "multiple contenders" are looking at New York Knicks forward Marcus Morris as a possible target, according to SNY's Ian Begley.

Begley added, however, the Knicks view Morris as somebody who can help them in the future. He signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the team in the offseason.

Morris is averaging a career-high 19.1 points, a number that's inflated somewhat by how bad the Knicks are. He's unlikely to match his 14.3 shot attempts on a team with a stronger supporting cast.

The 30-year-old is also hitting 45.7 percent of his three-point opportunities, which is one of the biggest reasons he's an attractive asset on the trade market. Even if his long-range shooting regresses toward his career average (36.9 percent), he's an effective floor-spacer.

Dealing Morris would arguably be the Knicks' best move. They own the second-worst record (12-33) in the Eastern Conference, and they're unlikely to be significantly better next year without drastic changes to the roster.

Morris' contributions will do little for New York over the remainder of this season, and the same might prove true in the near future were the team to re-sign him.

If anything, Morris' on-court success this year is proof of how the shift in the Knicks' offseason strategy was shrewd. Once Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving joined the Brooklyn Nets, it made sense to add a bunch of veteran players on short contracts because the team could flip them for assets down the road if things worked out.

Morris' expiring contract will limit the Knicks' return a little bit, but getting back a few second-round picks or a late first-rounder would be worth it for a franchise that can't continue to ignore the need for a major rebuild.