As NBA free agency continues, with various role players still up for grabs, the Sixers are looking to improve their forward depth. They’ve already had discussions with two Heat free agents in Caleb Martin and former Sixer Haywood Highsmith, and now another former Sixer has entered the mix.
As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer has reported, the Sixers have expressed interest in signing Marcus Morris.
According to Pompey, the Pistons, Hornets, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Heat, and Timberwolves have also expressed some interest in Morris.
Morris spent 37 games with the Sixers last season, before being sent to San Antonio as part of the Buddy Hield trade. Morris was waived soon after and went on to sign with the Cavs for the rest of the season. During his short stretch in Philadelphia, Morris averaged 6.7 points and 2.9 rebounds with a 40 percent stroke from three in 17.2 minutes per game.
For a team that still needs help at the 4 and could benefit from having some extra size and shooting there, the 6-foot-8 Morris makes a little sense. He’s shot 40.3 percent from three over the last five years on solid volume, and could bring a touch of rebounding. But the positives pretty much run out there. At nearly 35 years of age, Morris is slowing down even more and was clearly an issue on defense with the Sixers already last season. He struggled to keep in front of anyone with much pace and failed to stay engaged and be in the right spots off the ball too often.
If Morris is just an end-of-bench piece for the regular season as a shooter with size, fine. He shouldn’t cost more than a minimum deal either. But if he’s being considered as a notable rotation piece or a candidate to play in the playoffs, the Sixers should look elsewhere at this point.
Both Martin and Highsmith are much better targets, with the latter having the ability to help play more at the 4. In terms of talent and general two-way reliability, there’s no doubt those two should be targeted over Morris.