Due to nearly everyone being on fully guaranteed contracts, NBA training camps tend to lack “Hard Knocks” kind of drama. Everything is set before camp even tips off.
New York will be the exception this season. The Knicks have 14 fully guaranteed contracts, and the battle for the final roster spot has just become a lot more interesting. The Knicks announced that they will be bringing in veteran floor-stretching big man Marcus Morris Sr.
Earlier this week, New York signed veteran shooting guard Landry Shamet to a non-guaranteed contract to allow him to come in and compete for that final roster spot. The Knicks also have former Orlando first-round pick Chuma Okeke coming to training camp.
Morris, Shamet and Okeke will compete for the final Knicks roster spot (the Knicks also could choose to let them all walk and keep that roster spot open, saving some money and allowing more roster flexibility at the trade deadline).
Morris may have an advantage in that race. First, he’s played in New York before, he was on the team for much of the 2019-20 season. Second, New York is thin in the front court behind Mitchell Robinson, if Morris can prove that at age 35 he can still knock down 3s and contribute defensively, he fills a need.
Last season Morris split time between Philadelphia and Cleveland averaging 6.4 points and 2.4 rebounds a game averaging just less than 17 minutes a game mostly off the bench. He shot 40.3% from 3 but struggled some on the defensive end.
It’s going to be an interesting training camp for New York next month.