While the Los Angeles Lakers are busy preparing for what should be an eventful offseason, Marcus Morris is set to test the market as a free agent.
It is no secret there is plenty of hype surrounding the team’s plans once the 2018-19 NBA season officially draws to a close. Recent reports even suggest their inability to attract free agents this offseason could have dire consequences on LeBron James’ future.
While most of the focus has been on the Lakers potentially acquiring the likes of Anthony Davis or Kyrie Irving, the front office will need to fill out the roster with some key role players as well.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Lakers are reportedly interested in signing Morris:
Celtics free agent Marcus Morris will have strong interest as a second-tier free agent, with teams such as the Knicks, Kings, Lakers, Clippers and Bulls expected to be in pursuit, league sources said. Morris, 29, had arguably his best all-around season, averaging 13.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game and serving as a versatile scorer and defender either as a starter or reserve. League sources say Morris remains open-minded about returning to Boston, which wants to bring Morris back but has several summer priorities such as Kyrie Irving.
This is certainly an interesting development considering Los Angeles had also expressed interest in his twin brother Markieff Morris earlier in the season, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports:
Free-agent forward Markieff Morris has been cleared to play after recovering from a neck injury and has garnered interest from the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors, his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, told Yahoo Sports.
At this point, it is safe to say the Lakers are looking for players with similar skillsets to the Morris twins. Both players have proven to be extremely versatile on both ends of the floor, which is something that Los Angeles has been looking for in recent seasons.
Morris has spent the last two seasons with the Boston Celtics and is coming off perhaps the best season of his career. More importantly, he played an integral role in the team’s playoff success during that time and it seems the Lakers are hoping that he can bring some of that much-needed experience to Los Angeles.
Of course, the Lakers will be going all out in their pursuit of another All-Star player to pair James with this offseason. It will be interesting to see if there is any mutual interest from Morris in the meantime.
