Despite some unrealized excitement earlier in the week, the Clippers had an uncharacteristically quiet draft night (they didn’t make a single trade tonight after making at least one during each of the last 8 NBA Drafts). For the first time since Lawrence Frank took over basketball operations from Doc Rivers, the Clippers simply entered the day with two picks, made them, and called it a night. While the hope is that these two guys–Kobe and Jordan–develop into good players, it’s unlikely that either is a major factor in the Clippers’ pursuit of the 2024 NBA title. Forward Kobe Brown will be on the 15-man roster in a reserve role behind a host of veterans, while wing Jordan Miller is expected to sign a two-way contract, spending most of the upcoming season with the Ontario Clippers.

The biggest story of the draft for the Clippers, though, wasn’t who they took–it was the players who weren’t moved. It’s no secret that the team is ready to move on from Marcus Morris, who has been the team’s primary power forward for the last 3.5 years. Originally, the team expected to send the 30th pick and Marcus Morris to the Washington Wizards in a 3-team trade that would have brought guard Malcolm Brogdon to Los Angeles, but they backed out over concerns regarding Brogdon’s health. Adding Brown with the 30th pick instead is all well and good, but the clear need to move on from Morris at the power forward position remains–and the team targeting Brogdon (and Chris Paul who was dealt to the Golden State Warriors today) suggests that they’re looking to move for a guard and a forward this summer. Whether the goal of making a big addition at guard is to replace or complement Russell Westbrook, who is an unrestricted free agent, is anyone’s guess.

At guard, the Clippers could always simply re-sign Westbrook, having sufficient depth to round out a solid guard rotation without an addition (Bones Hyland will definitely appreciate not being stuck behind two hall of fame point guards next year). Questions about the championship upside of putting his shooting and turnover issues alongside Paul George and Kawhi Leonard remain, but it would hardly be a surprise to see him back with the team after he became the emotional centerpiece of an otherwise listless Clipper team last year and put up big numbers in the team’s first round loss with George and Leonard sidelined. I’d still look for the Clippers to deal a guard (Westbrook, Hyland, Norman Powell, and Eric Gordon is one too many guys as long as Paul George is starting at shooting guard, and that’s without mentioning Terance Mann, who more easily slots into the backup small forward role), likely Gordon who is the most expendable and movable due to a combination of skill level, age, and contract status.

Westbrook cannot be traded as a current free agent, only re-signed. Powell’s contract is likely unappealing to trade partners, but he’s an important piece for the Clippers, so it’s hard to see a win-win deal developing there. Mann and Hyland both represent players with positive trade value, but they’re both players the Clippers would be reluctant to part with lightly. Gordon, at 34 years old and with a fully non-guaranteed salary of $20.9M next season, is an easy choice to explore moving. The Clippers face an interesting decision with Gordon–in many ways, he’s a completly expendable piece on this team, because if Westbrook is retained (or another guard added in his place) the team can build a comfortable backup rotation with Hyland, Powell, and Mann. While it’s certainly possible that Ty Lue would play Gordon over Hyland if both are on the team in October, it wouldn’t be healthy for the organization to invest minutes in a mediocre 34-year-old veteran over a high-upside (if tumultuous) 23-year-old prospect. Cutting Gordon does Lue a favor by taking away a bad choice and leaving him with a straightforward guard rotation. At the same time, Gordon isn’t a bad player, and the Clippers aren’t getting that $21M salary slot back if they release him. He has on-floor utility, especially during a regular season where you know you won’t always have your first-choice 10-man rotation available, and could be a part of a deadline deal as a huge expiring. Then there’s the tax angle: simply releasing Gordon would save the Steve Ballmer something like $100M next season. Even for the league’s wealthiest owner, that’s gotta be hard to not consider for a guy who shouldn’t be in the nightly rotation.

Even if the Clippers are hunting for an upgrade at guard, the possibility of running it back with Russ at least exists. That isn’t the case at power forward, where Morris was woefully ineffective for the majority of last season before losing his starting job late in the year. His time with the team, both on the court and interpersonally, seems to have fully run its course. 34-year-old backup glue guy Nico Batum isn’t exactly ambitious to take over starter’s minutes, and it’s hard to imagine Ty Lue trusting Robert Covington to fill Morris’ shoes next season after routinely giving him the cold shoulder last year. In fact, while Gordon and Morris almost need to be moved in this off-season, Covington is the third player who I most expect to depart. The non-trade options for the Clippers to address replacing Morris come down to Covington and Kawhi Leonard… and while I’m into the idea of shifting Kawhi to PF in certain lineups, it’s hard to imagine the team asking their oft-unavailable superstar small forward to play against bigger, stronger opponents on a nightly basis in the regular season.

Knowing that the Clippers should be shopping Gordon and Morris (and Covington) hard while looking for a guard upgrade/insurance and a new starting power forward is the easy part. Making a deal or two along those lines is a bigger challenge. Without the 30th pick to attach in deals (the Clippers can still trade Kobe Brown’s draft rights, but the pick is always more valuable as currency before the selection is made), the Clippers will have a hard time attracting much interest in Gordon and Morris. In fact, last night, the Sacramento Kings straight-up gave Dallas the 24th overall pick in order to take the undesired contract of Richaun Holmes–and Holmes is a useful player that the Mavericks will use! If 24 + Holmes = nothing, then 30 + Morris = Brogdon was actually a massive win (health notwithstanding)… and Morris without 30 = less than nothing. The Clippers are hardly in a position to give up future picks, Terance Mann, or Bones Hyland just to get off of Morris’ contract, so unless someone is really clamoring for Amir Coffey or Brandon Boston Jr., they’ll have to get creative to make a deal work.

As far as I can figure, the Clippers’ best bet is to go deeper into the crevasse by trading Gordon and Morris for less desirable contracts, thereby creating a situation of leverage where they can get some value back to help the team next year (either via a flippable asset or a useful player on an undesired contract). Say what you will about not wanting to pay them next season, but both of their contracts end after just one more year (and in Gordon’s case, only the amount required to make trade math becomes guaranteed, meaning he could offer some instant savings–more on this in a second). That’s not true for someone like Ben Simmons, who will make $40M in 2024-25. Would the Nets downgrade from Dorian Finney-Smith to Robert Covington if it meant the Clippers ate Simmons’ extra year in exchange for Gordon and Morris? Would they give LAC an additional asset too? If the Heat need Duncan Robinson’s outgoing salary to make a trade work this summer but their trade partner doesn’t fancy owing him $30M over the two seasons beyond next year, would Miami compensate the Clippers for taking on that deal in exchange for Morris’ expiring, and could they use that asset with Gordon to land a new power forward? Would the rebuilding Hornets jump at the opportunity to offload 3 years and $75M of Terry Rozier, a player who could be useful to LAC? What about the Hawks and ever-rumored forward John Collins’ similarly big deal? Atlanta particularly strikes me as a team that has to prepare to pay their upcoming young talent and could look to offload money this summer to set the stage for those deals in future years.

While it’s possible that some trade partners could value Gordon as a short-term role player, his presence allows for some immediate savings, too. His deal is fully non-guaranteed, which means the Clippers are completely off the hook for his salary if they cut him by June 28th. It’s not a complete mulligan for trade partners, though–enough of his contract needs to be guaranteed to make a trade legal. Still, teams can save money that way. Let’s look at that Gordon/Morris/Covington for Simmons/Finney-Smith deal, just as an example. To bring back those two players, the Clippers would have to send out about $38.6M. After Morris and Covington, the Clippers would only need an additional $10M, meaning that the Nets could immediately cut Gordon and have trimmed $13M ($19.6M if they elect to stretch his salary hit over the next 3 years) from their payroll for next season on top of savings on Simmons’ additional year.

Of course, there is the possibility of bigger deals solving these issues organically–maybe Gordon, Morris, Terance Mann, and future picks can land the Clippers Zach LaVine (good luck figuring out how to make him fit with Paul and Kawhi on offense, but talent is talent). If they get off of Morris’ deal in such a fashion, there are a couple of younger, less established power forwards that the Clippers could always look at as upside plays with the knowledge that they can turn to Batum or move Kawhi up a position in the playoffs: Obi Toppin is looking for a way out of New York to a bigger role, and the Clippers are rumored to have interest in Rockets forward Kenyon Martin Jr. One issue with targeting Toppin or Martin, aside from their relative inexperience and unprovenness, is that their salaries are too low to make a swap for Morris easy. Another is that they’d likely cost draft capital to acquire, something the Clippers have very little of and need to treasure.

Then, there are the elephant(s) in the room: the lingering rumored availability of Paul George in trade talks (and Damian Lillard’s satisfaction in Portland). It’s been mentioned throughout the week that the Clippers are gauging George’s value, though the latest update from Andrew Greif in the LA Times suggests that the feedback they received wasn’t great, with teams concerned about the downside of trading serious packages for a 33-year-old with a looming opt-out next summer who has averaged just 47 games played over his 4 years as a Clipper (2 of which were shortened from 82 to 72 games due to COVID scheduling, for what it’s worth). Still, Knicks reporter Ian Begley says he would expect New York to continue a pursuit of George if the Clippers are open to trading the star wing. The problem: both teams are trying to get closer to a championship in the near future, not further away. The Clippers would surely entertain a George-Randle framework for the same age, health, and contract reasons that the Knicks wouldn’t; the Clippers would hopefully rebuff a package built around RJ Barrett for the same quality disparity reasons the Knicks would pursue it. Perhaps a convenient way out: if Damian Lillard does finally decide it is time to leave the Trail Blazers behind instead of hanging around to mentor #3 overall pick Scoot Henderson, could a 3-team deal sending George to the Knicks, Lillard to the Clippers, and Barrett and a heap of draft picks to the Blazers satisfy everyone? The Knicks are committed to Jalen Brunson as their younger, cheaper star point guard, but covet a two-way All-NBA wing to join their core, while the Clippers would embrace the Lillard upgrade, especially given George’s reluctance to be a playmaker last season. I wouldn’t bet money on it, but I wouldn’t rule it out either. Lillard isn’t eligible to be traded until July 9th, the one-year anniversary of signing his designated veteran maximum extension last summer, so I’d expect these talks to be slow-developing as all sides (including Lillard himself) consider their options.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

After Quiet Draft, Clippers Need Trades For Gordon, Morris
Lucas Hann

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the LA Clippers are engaged in three-team trade talks that would bring Malcolm Brogdon to Los Angeles in exchange for Marcus Morris and draft compensation. The Clippers’ package would be rerouted to the Wizards, with Kristaps Porzingis headed to Boston. It’s unclear if veteran guard Chris Paul, who is heading to Washington as part of the agreed-upon Bradley Beal trade and rumored to be rerouted to the Clippers, would be a part of this or not.

Malcom Brogdon is a strong fit for the Clippers, a versatile 6’5″ defensive guard who can contribute offensively in on- and off-ball roles. He averaged 20 points and 6 assists in a lead guard role for the Indiana Pacers across the 2021 and 2022 NBA seasons before playing a lower-usage 6th man role on the championship-contending Boston Celtics last year, where his efficiency skyrocketed. While this move isn’t finalized and the Clippers likely have more to come, Brogdon is almost assuredly going to start next season, and he will likely try to take the reins as the number 3 guy alongside Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Brogdon’s main drawback, in true Clipper fashion, has been his availability; he’s averaged 24.5 games missed over the last 6 seasons. At 30 years old, it seems unlikely that he’ll suddenly develop durability as a Clipper.

While giving up on Marcus Morris is no loss to the Clippers–the veteran power forward played his way out of the rotation late last season, has been rumored to be dissatisfied with his role (which he refuted on Instagram), and overall it felt like the relationship had just fully run its course–it remains to be seen what the full picture of this trade would be. Morris alone doesn’t send out enough salary to bring back Brogdon, who has 2 seasons remaining on his contract at $22.5M each, though the math is close enough that simple filler, like Jason Preston or Brandon Boston Jr., could help complete the trade. There’s also the matter of draft compensation. What exactly is Washington due if Porzingis flexes the leverage of his player option? Opt-in-and-trade deals simply don’t net the same kind of return that a player gets when he doesn’t have the option to walk away as a free agent next week, as Clippers fans will recall with the return from sending Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets in a similar situation 6 years ago. And if the Celtics are getting a desired upgrade from Brogdon to Porzingis, shouldn’t they be pitching in to get that upgrade as well? The Clippers have some options, and while Brogdon is a good addition, I would be against over-committing assets to acquire a non-star at this stage of the 213 era.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

NBA Trade Rumors: Clippers in Malcolm Brogdon talks
Lucas Hann

Our exit interview series on the 2023 Clippers continues with a review of the season of much-maligned veteran power forward Marcus Morris.

Basic Information

Height: 6’8″

Weight: 218 pounds

Position: Power Forward

Age: 33

Years in NBA: 12

Key Regular Season Stats: Started all 65 of his appearances and averaged 11.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 42.6/36.4/78.2 splits in 28.1 minutes per game

Postseason Stats: Started 2 of his 3 appearances and averaged 8.7 points and 4.0 rebounds on 34.5/16.7/100 splits in 2.7 minutes per game

Expectations

Marcus Morris was a key figure of both the Clippers’ 2021 Western Conference Finals run, making 47% of his threes that season and starting 18 of LAC’s 19 playoff games, and their stubborn 2022 campaign with injured stars, increasing his scoring average to 15.4 points per game and shouldering a greater offensive workload. It was hard to blame him for his efficiency declining from 2021 to 2022–without full seasons of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard demanding defensive attention, Morris was forced to work for his own looks instead of cashing in on clean corner three looks. But heading into this season, with the Clippers’ stars back on the floor (and before you say anything, those guys played more total games this season than they did in that 2021 year), the expectation and hope was that Morris would get back to his sharpshooting ways. After all, a pair of fellow veteran power forwards, both better on the defensive end of the floor and both on 8-figure salaries, were waiting in the wings. Marcus justifying his starting role was going to require shot-making.

Reality

Sadly, it just didn’t materialize. This was Marcus’ age 33 season–he’ll turn 34 in September before training camp begins this fall–and it really does feel like the knee stiffness that has plagued him for years prevents him from moving well for more than a few weeks at a time. Morris’ three-point efficiency didn’t return to his 2021 level, or even gain ground on his 2022 level. In fact, Morris shot notably worse than his backups, Nico Batum and Robert Covington (36.4%, 39.1%, and 39.7%, respectively), while also taking the fewest three point attempts per 100 possessions. If we put together “Marcus justifying his starting role requires high-level shot-making” and “Marcus shot worse than the other power forwards,” it probably won’t surprise you to hear that the Clippers lost Morris’ minutes this season (despite him being in the stronger starting lineup and playing more minutes with the stars!) and were notably worse when he played than when he sat.

But that doesn’t fell the whole story of Marcus’ season. Through his first 41 games, he was much closer to his expected self: 13.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 44% from the field, and 38% from deep. That production still falls well short of his amazing 2021 shooting, and still should have left the door open for others to get opportunities, but it was acceptable. Then, in a 24-appearance stretch that endured for over 2 months from mid-January to late March, Morris averaged just 7.6 points and 2.6 rebounds as a starter, shooting a miserable 38.8% from the field and 31.3% from deep. It was an absolutely brutal shooting slump, and Lue sticking with him cost the Clippers games. Finally, it was announced that Batum would take over the starting power forward spot as Morris missed time in late March in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. In the playoffs, with Leonard and George both sidelined and Batum completely ineffective offensively, Lue again turned to Morris, with underwhelming results: he shot 34.5% from the field and 16.7% from three across 3 appearances. In all three games, the Clippers lost the minutes he spent on the floor (by 7, 19, and 15) and won the minutes when he sat (by 2, 7, and 9).

Future with Clippers

Marcus has one season left on his deal worth $17.1M, but it’s tough to imagine the team keeping him around this summer. The power forward position is clearly the Clippers’ biggest issue, with a need to get younger and more athletic (possibly by moving Kawhi Leonard to power forward and adding a younger wing, like Terance Mann, to the starting lineup). A 34-year-old Marcus Morris next season doesn’t fit that description. And moving him to a backup role doesn’t make a ton of sense, since they have 2 other veteran forwards with 8-figure guaranteed salaries for next season, both of whom were better than Marcus last year. Sometimes, a front office has to take a player away from a coach who that coach just can’t quit trusting despite clearly superior alternatives–I think this is one of those times. I’m looking for Marcus, along with Eric Gordon’s slightly larger salary, to be the two expiring money pieces the Clippers shop along with their limited assets (pick #30 in this year’s draft, future 1sts in 2028/2030, swaps in 2027/29, Terance Mann, and Bones Hyland) to try and find a third star. But even if that doesn’t work out, moving on from Marcus could be a pathway for the Clippers to try and avoid the league’s new “second apron” luxury tax rules.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

2023 Clippers Exit Interview: Marcus Morris
Lucas Hann

Our 2022-2023 player season preview series continues with Clippers’ veteran forward Marcus Morris, Sr.

BASIC INFORMATION

Height: 6’8”

Weight: 218

Position: Small Forward/ Power Forward

Age: 33

Years in NBA: 11

Key Stats: 54 games, 15.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.3 blocks, on 43.4/36.7/87.2 shooting splits

Contract Status: $16.4M guaranteed for the 2022-2023 season and $17.1M guaranteed for the 2023-2024 season. He will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024.

EXPECTATIONS

Let’s get one thing out of the way right away: every media day, it is announced that half of the league put on 10 pounds of muscle, while the other half lost ten pounds. Marcus Morris, Sr. was in the latter group, as it was reported that he cut weight to alleviate pressure on the knee that has bothered him for the last two seasons.

Morris missed 28 games last season, most of which were due to injury. The lost 10 pounds should help but, in theory, Morris should be more healthy this season regardless of weight because he will be asked to do less this season. Not only will be return to playing off of Kawhi and Paul George; he will also be able to offload more defensive and rebounding duties to Robert Covington when they share the floor. That is, Morris should be able to avoid playing small-ball center most of the season, health permitting.

Within the offense, Clippers Nation should reasonably expect the 2020-2021 Morris instead of what we saw last season. Specifically, in 2020-2021, Morris shot a staggering 47.3% from three; last year, however, he was at 36.7%. This drop in efficiency was understandable given the offensive responsibility he had last season. If Morris can return to that 43%+ territory, the Clippers will be in a very good place.

STRENGTHS

It is mentioned above but it is worth repeating: Marcus Morris is a great shooter. Again, though, last year was a bit of a drop off in respect to efficiency.

Here are a few stats that illustrate what Morris can do when playing off of Kawhi and PG (stats from 2020-2021).

• 50% of his shots were from three (5.2 attempts per game)
• 46% were catch-and-shoot (only 35% were pull ups)
• He took zero dribbles on 53%
• 64% of his shots were open or wide open
• He only held the ball for more than six seconds 8% of the time

If you look at the 2021-2022 versions of these stats, they all go in the wrong direction. That is, last season, he took more midrange shots, on several dribbles, and was way less open. The above player profile, though, is perfect for the roster—and Morris should be able to replicate it.

Aside from shooting, there is something to be said about Morris’ potential to be a leader on this team. Now, before I lose you, hear me out: Marcus has been in the league for 11 seasons, has played for 6 franchises, and has played several different roles in the league. His credibility with other players can be a force for good on this roster that is stacked with egos. For example, when Nico Batum filled in for him on the starting roster and played really well, Marcus made a very professional, unselfish decision: instead of taking his starting spot back, he accepted a bench role.

Like his personality or not, Marcus seems to have a strong enough reputation to be a leader within the locker room.

WEAKNESSES

As this blog likes to point out, the Clippers are not good at rebounding. And Marcus Morris deserves a healthy share of the blame. At just 4.4 rebounds last year, he averaged fewer rebounds than Isaiah Hartenstein (who played 11 fewer minutes per game) and Terance Mann (who mostly played guard).

His defense has also been suspect at time. In past seasons, Morris has taken tough assignments—like Luka—and has acquitted himself well enough. If Morris is going to primarily play power forward (and, remember, Morris sees himself more as a small forward), though, his defense may be tested even more.

SUMMARY

In sum, Marcus Morris, Sr.—and Clippers Nation—should be excited for the opportunity to see the 2020-2021 version of this offense. It was fun (for me, at least) to see Morris take the ball into the post and hit tough fadeaway last year, but the Clippers’ offense should make life much easier on him this season. While he might be a little too formed as a player to magically become a better rebounder, the fire-power he can provide from three should be more than enough to make him a net-positive player again this year (last year he was -2.6; the year before, 2.3).

2022-2023 Clippers Season Preview: Marcus Morris, Sr.
Kenneth Armstrong

According to Matt Moore (@HPBasketball) of The Action Network, the Clippers are one of the teams interested in pursuing Dallas Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. ahead of Thursday afternoon’s NBA Trade Deadline. Moore writes that the Mavericks are “aggressively” shopping Hardaway. It is unclear if this intel predates the Clippers’ acquisition of Norman Powell, or if LAC would have interest in adding both players. On the one hand, Powell and Hardaway Jr. might be a little redundant as scoring guards to complement Paul George, but it is possible to see the 6’5″ Hardaway alongside Powell, George, and Leonard in combinations. One of those two support scorers could also slot into a 6th man role, with either Reggie Jackson or one of the Clippers’ bigger power forwards taking the final starting spot.

Hardaway has been a core piece for the Mavericks in recent years, as evidenced by the team handing him a new 4-year, $75 million contract last off-season. However, he was having a bit of a down year before being sidelined in January with a stress fracture in his foot that could cost him the remainder of the season, and it makes sense that the Mavericks could look to move him due to a combination of factors, including the need to free up money to re-sign Jalen Brunson (in the midst of a breakout season and entering free agency this summer) and the need for help down the stretch of this season that the injured Hardaway may not be able to provide.

All things considered, it’s a good time to trade THJ as he’s unlikely to help them again this season and has likely already lost his long-term starting spot to Brunson, with the Mavericks needing his salary slot for Brunson as well. That creates an opportunity for a team like the Clippers, who are not concerned with money due to Steve Ballmer’s willingness to spend and their overall team-building status (it’s much more palatable to load up on long-term 8-figure deals for role players if you already have two max contract superstars on board), to potentially get a good deal. The Clippers also likely know that their championship hopes lie in 2023, not 2022, so a deal that might weaken the team now in order to make them stronger for next season would be justified.

Hardaway is having a down year, primarily due to a regression in his three-point shooting–on similar volume as the last two seasons, he’s shooting 33.6% after being above 39% each of the last two years. It’s likely that the Mavericks would want any potential Hardaway trade to center around Marcus Morris, who potentially fits the profile of a Dallas target due to his elite shooting from the power forward position. The Mavs are looking for help in the frontcourt for pairings with Kristaps Porzingis, Moore notes, though Jake Fischer reported today that Porzingis himself could be on the move. Either way, Morris provides major floor-spacing support around Luka Doncic for a Mavericks team that would really like to get out of the first round this year.

In terms of a Morris-Hardaway swap, it’s unclear where exactly the value lies of each player. Hardaway was having a down year and is injured, which is a mark against him, but coming into the year I would have given him the slight edge of Morris. On the other hand, Morris is owed less money per year and has one fewer year on his contract than Hardaway, representing less of a financial commitment–though I’m not sure how much that extra year matters when you consider that Hardaway is 3 years younger than Morris. On the whole, I lean towards thinking that Dallas is the team that would need to sweetend this deal to persuade LAC to pull off a swap, as the Mavericks are ultimately more incentivized to acquire short-term help with Hardaway hurt and move off that contract to create flexibility for Brunson.

Financially, Morris and Hardaway are not perfect matches in a one-for-one trade, so balancing additional money from the Clippers with additional compensation from the Mavericks is a difficult tight rope to walk, especially with Serge Ibaka now traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for essentially nothing.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

NBA Trade Rumors: Clippers Interested in Tim Hardaway Jr.
Lucas Hann

We’re continuing our 213Hoops Exit Interview series, where we go player-by-player through the Clippers’ roster and break down how each player on the team performed relative to their pre-season expectations, and ponder their future with the team. Today, we’re taking a look at the third-highest paid Clipper: Marcus Morris

Basic Information

Height: 6’8″

Weight: 218 lbs.

Position: PF

Age: 31 (will turn 32 before next season starts)

Years in NBA: 10

Key Stats: In 57 appearances for the Clippers last year, started 29 times and played 26.4 minutes per game, averaging 13.4 points and 4.1 rebounds on 47.3/47.3/82.0 shooting splits. In the playoffs, appeared in all 19 games for the Clippers (starting 18) and averaged 12.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 43.0/37.5/75.0 shooting splits in 31.8 minutes per game.

Contract Status: Morris signed a 4-year, $64 million contract last off-season and just completed the first season of it–leaving him earning $15,627,907 for 2021-22 and $16.4M/$17.1M the following two seasons.

Expectations

After trading a first round pick for Morris at the 2020 NBA Trade Deadline and immediately thrusting him into the starting lineup, it was clear that the Clippers viewed him as their third option going forward. When they chose to let JaMychal Green walk in free agency last off-season and ink Morris to a 4-year, $64 million dollar contract to make him the third highest paid player on the team, it was an emphatic doubling down on that decision. Now heading into a full season with the team, the pre-season expectations on Morris were pretty obvious: seperate from the rest of the role players and be a clear #3 guy in terms of minutes, shots, and scoring. In the playoffs, the Clippers needed him to step up with his all-around game, giving Paul George and Kawhi Leonard a dependable third scorer in the lineup while also providing solid off-ball offense play and defense across multiple positions.

Reality

Morris had a rocky start to the year, as he missed the first couple of weeks of the season with a nagging knee soreness and then clearly needed time to shake off the rust and work himself back into game shape when he did return. One he got into the flow of things, one thing was clear: Marcus was red-hot. He hit 47.3% of the 296 threes he took this season, finishing second in efficiency behind Brooklyn’s Joe Harris at 47.5%. But past making an outrageous percentage of his threes, Morris’ overall impact on games was often a bit underwhelming. While it was admirable for Marcus to embrace coming off the bench in favor of Nicolas Batum after the team’s hot start with Batum at the helm, he wasn’t just taking a backseat for continuity’s sake: Batum was a better player than Morris this season and in the playoffs. It wasn’t all Nico being amazing, either–Morris wasn’t moving well for much of the year, was sluggish defensively, posted significantly worse defensive rebounding numbers than the team’s other wings (his 14.5% DRB% is closer to Luke Kennard’s 13.0% than Terance Mann’s 16.1%), and was often just a corner spot-up guy rather than a real piece of the buildup who could put the ball on the floor and make plays. On the whole, he was a valuable part of the Clippers’ regular season campaign and a definite positive contributor, but he seemed to more blend in with the rest of the pack of role players than stand out as a clear number 3.

Morris’ mobility did improve as the season went along, and we saw a bit more spryness from him in attacking closeouts and creating 2-point FGA for himself. But still, when the Clippers were shorthanded for swaths of the second half of the regular season, it felt like they were more often looking to play through guys like Reggie Jackson and Terance Mann as primary options. Morris had his share of big games (his averages jumped to 28.7 minutes and 15.6 points in the games he started), but he was more often the beneficiary of other creators than a creator himself. If you want a optimistic statistic about Morris’ ability to help shoulder the load in games without Kawhi Leonard next season, it’s those numbers as a starter. If you want a pessimistic one, it’s this: 70% of his field goals last season were assisted–193, while he dished out just 58 assists of his own.

In the playoffs, Marcus did a lot of really important work for the Clippers, particularly in the first two rounds as they played heavy doses of small ball and he was asked to battle with much bigger opposing centers defensively. It really did take a team effort to pull off those coverages as consistently and effectively as the Clippers did late in the Dallas series and against the Jazz, but Morris was an integral part of the scheme. Offensively, however, his historic playoff streakiness made him tough to rely upon: he’s shot above 25% and below 50% from three just 9 times in his 62 career playoff games. This year, the Clippers got 8 below 25%, 3 in the middle, and 8 above 50%. They were 6-2 in his 8 good shooting games, 3-5 in his bad ones, and 1-2 in those in-betweeners. There were moments where he was brilliant, with 5 20-point outings that included a 7-9 from three game 7 against Dallas and 20 first-half points in game 5 against Phoenix with the Clippers facing eliminationg. He also had some duds: totaling 43 points on 19-64 shooting in games 1 and 2 of each series as the Clippers fell into three straight 0-2 holes. Much like the regular season, Morris was important to the Clippers’ playoff success and undeniably a net positive… and yet it was really rough to need to rely on him to be the #3 guy.

Future with Clippers

While anything is possible, Morris seems firmly established with the Clippers, happy to be in LA, and holds a negative-value contract that makes any trade exceedingly unlikely. Marcus is absolutely a positive on-court contributor for the Clippers, but most other teams in the NBA are going to be at best unenthused at the prospect of taking on a 32-year-old who has durability issues and is owed almost $50M over the next 3 seasons. He has more value to the Clippers on the team than he does in almost any realistic trade.

But figuring out exactly what Marcus is to this team going forward is going to be an interesting task. If they just want him to settle in as one of the supporting stable of role players and be a spot up shooter, he’s proven to be pretty lethal at that. Being able to do it in the body of a strong 6’8″ switchable defender is enough to make him a valuable piece of anyone’s playoff rotation. But it’s not enough to make him a must-play 30 minute-per-game guy unless his contributions can be a bit more consistent and well-rounded. As I noted above, Nic Batum was just a straight-up better player this season, still shooting well from deep without matching Marcus’ lethal efficiency but also playing significantly better defense and operating better within the flow of the offense. It wasn’t crazy for Lue to start Batum over Morris during that stretch of the regular season and frankly, when the team made the choice to go back to Ivica Zubac at center in the Western Conference Finals and not play Batum and Morris together at the 4 and 5 so much, it would have made plenty of sense to reduce Morris’ minutes rather than Batum’s.

If there was one main reason why such a move wouldn’t have made sense, it was scoring. Nic hits some shots and makes some plays, but he’s not as hungry for buckets as Marcus can be, and the Clippers were desperate for shot creation support behind Paul George and Reggie Jackson with Kawhi Leonard injured. But that’s part of the conundrum with Morris: he’s the $64 million dollar man and they needed him to support minimum salaried Reggie Jackson in creating offense instead of the other way around. And Marcus didn’t even really do it well aside from his one ballistic first half in game 5. It seems almost certain that Morris will be the Clippers’ starting power forward again entering next season as they look to continue replacing-by-committee Leonard’s offensive production, but the team will need something like New York Knicks Marcus Morris, who averaged 19.6 points and 32 minutes per game on 44/44/82 shooting splits and put up 14.8 FGA nightly. Can he tap into those 40 games–an extreme outlier half-season compared to the rest of his career–again? Can he play that many minutes without his persistent knee soreness issue costing him games?

The Clippers made a series of choices in the last year and a half that essentially married them to Marcus Morris. For at least 1 or 2 more years until his contract becomes short-term enough to cease being unattractive in trades, they’re much, much better off keeping him than trying to give up on him–and he’s been good enough that there’s no reason to look to move on. But one of the defining questions of this era of Clipper basketball, going back the last two years and going forward for the next several as well, is going to be just how good Marcus Morris can be. There’s no doubt that he’s a solid top-8 piece for a contender, but can he be a clear #3 or is he just one of the 3-8 guys? So far it’s been the latter, which is perhaps especially concerning heading into a season where the team may need him to be not just a clear #3 but a clear #2.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers 2021 Exit Interview: Marcus Morris
Lucas Hann

Dr. Shap and Mike Jaglin discuss the continued absences of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Nicolas Batum as the injured Clippers had their 4-game winning streak snapped as they fall to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.

Check out the podcast here! Be sure to rate and review us five stars on whatever platform you listen to us on, and give us feedback in the comments below!

Podcast: Injured Clippers Fall to Jazz
Shapan Debnath

Despite the absence of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the shorthanded Clippers blew out the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday night–and then surprise the Miami Heat on Monday with Patrick Beverley and Nicolas Batum joining the inactive list as well. Dr. Shap, Lucas Hann, and Mike Jaglin discuss the pair of shocking wins, along with a guest appearance from Locked on Cavs host Chris Manning, who shared his thoughts on Clippers coach Tyronn Lue.

Check out the podcast here! Be sure to rate and review us five stars on whatever platform you listen to us on, and give us feedback in the comments below!

Podcast: Shorthanded Clippers Surprise Heat, Cavs
Shapan Debnath

Despite being down four starters, Marcus Morris stepped up and led the Clippers to a surprising 125-118 win over the Miami Heat. Read on for a full Clippers vs Heat game recap.

Clippers vs Heat Game Summary

The Clippers suited up for Monday night’s match-up against the reigning Eastern Conference Champion Miami Heat without Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Patrick Beverley and Nicolas Batum. The squad was also on the back end of a back-to-back and their third game in four days. The team could have just thrown this towel for this match-up, but that is not in their DNA. Led by Marcus Morris Sr. and with impressive performances from Ivica Zubac and youngsters Terance Mann and Amir Coffey, the Clippers scrapped their way to victory, 125-118, and improve to 21-8.

First Half

Los Angeles started the game with the unusual combo of Terance Mann, Marcus Morris Sr., Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson and Lou Williams. Miami predictably hit the floor running, jumping out to a 7-0 lead after tip-off, exploiting Reggie Jackson’s inability to work through high screens. The Clippers settled in fairly quickly, however, with Marcus Morris Sr. leading the way.  

Morris displayed unusual offensive flexibility in the first quarter, supplementing his three-point shooting with aggressive drives to the rim.  Morris almost single-handedly keep the Clippers alive over the first 12 minutes, collecting 15 points on 5 for 7 shooting (including 3 from 3), three rebounds, two assists and a steal. 

Serge Ibaka also contributed in the frame, connecting for 7 points and snatching 4 rebounds.

It helped the Clippers significantly that two of the Heat’s starters got into foul trouble early. Duncan Robinson, who opened the game going 2 for 3 from long, was forced to the bench with over 8 minutes left in the opening period, with two. Kendrick Nunn was called for his second foul approximately two minutes later.

At the end of the first, the Clippers trailed by two, 35-33.  Notably, 22 of the Heat’s 35 points were scored in the paint. The Clippers got absolutely hammered inside all game.

The second quarter started with Luke Kennard, Ivica Zubac, Amir Coffey, Patrick Patterson and Lou Williams on the floor.  The Heat started on an uptick, extending their lead to seven on a another Robinson three. The Clippers bounced right back, however, going on a 7-0 run consisting of a Kennard layup, Coffey three and Zu flush.  Coffey was the highlight of the quarter, sinking three from beyond the arc.  

Reggie Jackson prompted a moment of concern with just under five minutes left in the half, injuring his shoulder and retreating to the locker room. (Jackson would return in the third quarter, but was in obvious pain when shooting – something to monitor.)

Morris continued his hot streak, connecting on three more long balls and logging a career high 26 points in the half.  

At the end of two frames the Clippers were out in front by 5, 67-62.  As a team the Clippers shot a solid 53.3 percent from the field and 55.6 from 3 point land.  Miami continued to dominate in the paint (38 points), and also outscored the Clippers 10-0 in fast break points.  

Clippers Halftime Stats

• Morris – 26 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 17 minutes.  
• Coffey – 12 points (all from behind the arc), 2 rebounds, 1 assist. 
• Zubac – 8 points, 5 rebounds
• Ibaka – 7 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal.
• Williams – 6 points, 5 assists, 1 rebound.
• Mann – 6 points, 1assist, 2 rebounds.

Jimmy Butler was predictably best for Miami with 16 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds and 1 steal.  Tyler Herro added 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block and Bam Adebayo 10 points, 4 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block. 

Second Half

The second half was a teeter-totter shootout, with neither team playing terribly effective defense.  The Clippers got solid performances out of nearly everyone, while Miami continued to eat in the paint and take advantage of mismatches involving Jimmy Butler.  

The Clippers entered the final frame with a 92-91 advantage.  Luke Kennard hit a couple of big buckets as part of a 12-2 scoring run, which was a welcomed sight.  With just under 5 left on the clock the Clippers had extended their lead to 11.  Despite solid performances from Butler, Adebayo and Herro down the stretch, Miami never recovered.  

The Clippers ended the game with six players in double figures: Morris (32), Zubac (22), Williams (18), Mann (15), Coffey (15) and Kennard (10).  

Miami was led by Butler (30), Adebayo (27) and Herro (27).

Game Notes

• Step Up: All In. This was an incredible and fun team win. As I noted in my preview for this game, the Clippers are, and will continue to be, an extremely difficult team to beat with their talent and depth. Tonight, every player that hit the floor (except perhaps Patrick Patterson), contributed solidly and believed 100% in themselves and in the franchise.  Many had career or season highs:

• Marcus Morris Sr. finished with a game high 32 points.  The 26 points he lodged in the first half was a career record. Mook really stepped up to be the leader on the court tonight; the go-to guy in the absence of Kawhi and PG.  Love to see it. 

• Amir Coffey had a stellar, well-rounded game, contributing 15 points (on 5 for 6 shooting from distance), three rebounds, two assists and a steal.  Career high for the young fella.

• Terance Mann had a season-high 15 points and also grabbed 7 rebounds. Along with Coffey, Mann showed tremendous poise, confidence and good judgment on the floor tonight. 

• Ivica Zubac had a season-high 22 points tonight, and came through meaningfully in the fourth quarter on both ends of the floor to ensure LA’s victory.

• Lou Williams had another solid game, connecting for 18 points and dishing out 10 assists. This is the second time in Williams’ career that he has had consecutive games with at least 10 assists. Lou’s confidence in his passing has just skyrocketed this season, and it has benefitted the team immensely.

• Sharing is Caring: Speaking of assists, this is the second time this season the Clippers have had consecutive games of at least 30 assists. The team had 31 assists Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers and again tonight.  Prior to this season, the Clippers haven’t had consecutive games with at least 30 assists since December of 2014.

• Next Up:  Clippers host the Utah Jazz for the first of two match-ups this week.  Wednesday February 17, 2021, 7 p.m.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Clippers vs Heat Game Recap: Morris’ 32 Leads The Way
michelle uzeta

Did you have Nicolas Batum performing competently on your 2020-21 bingo card? With the clouds of his previous lucrative contract dissipated, Batum now finds himself outperforming his new minimum deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, as Batum’s offense has been a welcome addition for the franchise.

Just like every other team in the NBA, the Clippers have suffered a myriad of setbacks in reaching their ceiling early in the season: Marcus Morris, fresh off a 4 year, $64 million deal, is dealing with a knee issue and remains sidelined; Kawhi Leonard is playing with a mask following a mouth laceration; Luke Kennard is still adjusting to the game after not playing since early 2020; Reggie Jackson is still Reggie Jackson.

But just like we all expected, Nicolas Batum has emerged as a sound rotational player, averaging 10.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 0.9 steals in 29 minutes per game, filling in as the primary four while Morris heals. More impressive are his shooting splits of 51.6/45.7/93.8, a year removed from an abhorrent 34.6/28.6/90 season.  He’s coming off another strong game against the Phoenix Suns in which he hit 4-7 (57%) from deep, including a dagger three to repel Phoenix’s last push.

Despite the breaches in the rotation, the Clippers have catapulted to a 5-2 record, tied for first in the staunch Western Conference, and Batum’s offense has assisted that start.

Batum’s momentous output through seven games always circles back to his shooting. Last season’s abysmal production from deep in Charlotte rang bells of concern when Los Angeles picked him up. Would his shooting revert to his career average three-point percentage of 35.7? Or was last season a clear indicator the 32-year-old forward was destined for “washed” territory? This blistering start has put those concerns to sleep. Off this baseline out-of-bounds set (BLOB), the Clippers run an elbow stagger for Paul George to curl off of as Batum is situated just outside the initial down screen by Patrick Beverley. Beverley will leak out to the corner, and Batum will split between the screens as Serge Ibaka sets another one for Batum. Jae Crowder is caught ball-watching, allowing for George to stop his drive and find Batum for the open look. Splash.

Here’s another BLOB set later in the game. This time, it’s a wide pindown for Paul George, a play he’s commonly involved in. Mikal Bridges’ defensive prowess cuts off the dribble hand-off, but Devin Booker gets caught in a daze after Ivica Zubac’s down screen, permitting Batum to pop out for a three. Splash. Batum’s three-point resurgence hasn’t sparked just himself, but the entire squad. When Batum is on the floor, the Clippers are hitting their non-corner threes at a difference of +11.2%, ranking in the 92nd percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. That number will likely decrease under more minutes, but as the last two plays indicated, Ty Lue can trust Batum in these spots to convert.

Speaking of trust, how about Batum’s dagger mentioned earlier? Ibaka sets the high screen for George, but Deandre Ayton sticks to Ibaka rather than cutting off George’s lane downhill. That forced Devin Booker to collapse into the paint, freeing up the path to pass to an open Batum. Chris Paul cannot rotate in time. Splash. Batum is essentially a new toy dusted off from the top shelf for initiators like George and Leonard. With the abilities of George and Leonard to drive-and-kick, Batum’s offense, theoretically, is perfect. Per NBA.com tracking data, Batum is shooting 50% on catch-and-shoot triples; three-point attempts comprise 58.5% of Batum’s overall attempts.

Here’s Batum in action with George against Portland. LA runs a stagger screen for George, which flows into a George-Ibaka pick-and-roll set. Jusuf Nurkic shows high to prevent George’s downhill lane as CJ McCollum tagged Ibaka’s roll. That opened a window for George to hit Batum in the corner. Splash. Batum is usually on the court with one of George or Leonard in at all times, and we’ve seen the chemistry developing between George and Batum. Per pbpstats, Batum has played 158 of 202 minutes with George on the court. George’s expertise in setting Batum up has led to Batum possessing an eFG% of 63.2 with George versus a 57.1 clip without.

Moving to assists, Batum’s assists per game have steadily dipped since eclipsing at 5.9 a game in 2016-17 with Charlotte. Last season, he averaged 3.0 APG, not a stark difference to the 2.9 he currently averages. But there’s context to that; Batum didn’t play alongside stars like George and Leonard in Charlotte. Assists per game don’t always tell the complete story, either. Per nba.com tracking data, Batum is averaging 4.4 potential assists per game, fourth-most on the team. The typical ball-handling triumvirate of George, Leonard and Lou Williams spearhead that category.Still, Batum’s a ball-moving forward, a contrast to Morris, who often counters that trait. Per Cleaning the Glass, Batum’s usage rate of 11.3% ranks in the 9th percentile among fellow forwards. However, his assist-to-usage ratio is at a beaming 1:16, good for the 98th percentile. Batum’s excelled in this category dating back to his Portland days, but it’s a positive sign for a Clippers team hoping to secure a balanced attack with a variety of players. Batum’s offense has been superbly effective. The eye test definitely supports his per-100-possession offensive rating of 139 and a defensive rating of 113, a +26 differential, which would be a career-high if it sustains. Not only that, but his points per shot attempt mark of 135.6 ranks in the 91st percentile, a perceptible distinction from being in the 10th percentile a season ago, per Cleaning the Glass. While the Clippers wait for Morris to fully heal, Batum, even when he inevitably comes off the bench, is flying under the radar as one of the offseason’s best transactions by any team this season.

213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.

Nicolas Batum’s offense has been a welcome addition
Sanjesh Singh