Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Thursday that the Miami Heat are one of several teams who have expressed interest in signing veteran forward Marcus Morris.
“According to sources, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, and Minnesota Timberwolves have shown interest,” Pompey wrote. “The Dallas Mavericks were interested before making roster moves.
“For Morris’ comfort level, the [Philadelphia] Sixers and Cavs appear to have the best chances to land him. After being bought out by the [San Antonio] Spurs, Morris signed with Cleveland in March. He fit in nicely and was one of their best players in the postseason.
“The Sixers only have a one-year veteran-minimum salary of $3.3 million available to offer him. Sources say the Cavs, who are highly interested, are prepared to give Morris nearly double that amount. Despite that, Morris can still see himself coming back to the Sixers.”
The 34-year-old journeyman has suited up for a whopping eight NBA teams — the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Pistons, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, 76ers and Cavaliers — across his 13 seasons in the league.
Morris has appeared in 832 regular-season games in his NBA career and averaged 12.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game during that span.
While Morris saw a little less playing time with the 76ers and Cavaliers during the 2023-24 regular season than he did in years past — he averaged just 16.7 minutes per contest this past season — he still proved himself to be capable of impacting winning, thanks in part to his ability to space the floor.
Morris shot an impressive 40.3 percent from 3-point range in the regular season. He managed to carry over his efficient shooting from deep into the Cavaliers’ stint in the 2024 NBA Playoffs as well, considering he converted 39.1 percent of his looks from deep across nine playoff games.
Miami stands out as a team that could benefit greatly from acquiring a 3-point shooter of Morris’ caliber.
The Heat were a mediocre 3-point shooting team last season, as the squad averaged 12.5 made 3s per game, which ranked 19th in the NBA. Miami also ranked 18th in the league in 3-point attempts per game with 33.7. Overall, the Heat shot 37.0 percent from deep, ranking 12th in the NBA.
On top of his impressive 3-point shooting chops, Morris would bring a wealth of playoff experience to the Heat. He played in the Eastern Conference Finals as a member of the Celtics and in the Western Conference Finals as a member of the Clippers, though he has yet to reach the NBA Finals in his pro career.
While the Heat have evidently taken a look at Morris, he seems to have plenty of teams interested in his services at the moment. In addition, Miami is facing payroll obstacles that hinder the team’s ability to add to the roster. But if nothing else, it’s interesting to know that the Heat are intrigued by the veteran.