MARCH 18: Morris’ signing is official, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.
MARCH 16: The Cavaliers will sign veteran forward Marcus Morris to a 10-day contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Morris is expected to be available when Cleveland travels to Indiana on Monday, Charania adds.
Morris, 34, has been a free agent since being waived by San Antonio on February 29. He didn’t appear in any games with the Spurs after being acquired in a trade at the deadline, and he hasn’t been on the court since February 5.
The Cavs will be the fourth team this season for Morris, who started off with the Clippers before being shipped to his hometown Sixers as part of the James Harden trade in early November. Morris mostly played a reserve role for Philadelphia, appearing in 37 games and averaging 6.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per night.
In Cleveland, Morris will provide frontcourt depth for a team playing without Evan Mobley, who is sidelined with a sprained left ankle. Morris will also add a heavy dose of veteran leadership and playoff experience to the locker room.
After Monday’s game, Cleveland will play five more times in the 10-day span. Morris will be eligible for a second 10-day deal, but he’ll have to be signed to a standard contract to be on the roster for the postseason.
The Cavaliers have been carrying a roster opening since Sharife Cooper‘s 10-day contract expired last week, so they won’t need another move before making Morris’ contract official.
Patrick Beverley first stated on Friday (via Twitter) that his former teammate was planning to sign with the Cavaliers.
No more chain snatching
This is a real-life example of the impact of the new CBA rule that:
“Teams above the first tax apron can’t sign players whose previous salary was more than $12.4 million.” It currently applies to the Heat, Nuggets, Warriors, Celtics, Suns, Clippers and Bucks.
Morris would have been on one of these teams without the new rule.
Ahhhh I see, before reading your comment I was about to ask he’s fallen off so hard he’s only getting 10 days now?? Thank u.
The whole tax apron nonsense is trash. If you wanna win sign the players, if not then be the pistons or blazers.
The Cavaliers have time available for Morris now.I see why they signed him to a 10 day deal. JB Bickerstaff wants to see how he fits in before they offer him a standard contract. If Mobley and Wade continue to have injury troubles the Cavaliers won’t really have any choice but to sign Marcus to a standard deal. It is not like they have the next Giannis Antetokounmpo ready to come in and replace Evan Mobley.
If the Cavs don’t keep him past the 10 day, is he then free to return to the Sixers?
No. A Player can’t go back to the team that traded him after a buyout.
I thought if he made a second stop after being traded the prohibition didn’t apply.
That’s only if he’s traded a second time before being cut. Once he was waived by the Spurs, the Sixers became ineligible to sign him for the rest of this season no matter how many 10-day deals he signs between now and April 14.
Celtics could use him