Marcus Morris Sr. is back in trouble.
The team announced that Morris signed an Exhibit 9 contract on Sunday, bringing the veteran forward back to the city where he played 43 games during the 2019-20 season.
An Exhibit 9 contract, on the other hand, is a non-guaranteed one-year contract that protects the team in the event of a serious injury to the player.
This was another step in the depth of the Knicks, who had previously signed Landry Shamet to an Exhibit 9 contract to add another guard to the roster and fill an area of need that had become apparent during their playoff run last year.
The two will likely fight for the last spot, as most of the players on the roster – and the top spots in the rotation – are already taken by the Knicks’ returning players.
Morris, a 13-year veteran, averaged 19.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in his first stint with the Knicks.
During his time with the team, he scored at least 20 points 25 times, including 38 points (his season high) in a loss to the Clippers on January 5.
After 43 games, the Knicks traded the Philadelphia native in a three-way deal with the Wizards and he ended up in Los Angeles.
The 35-year-old played in 49 games for the 76ers and the Cavaliers last season, averaging 6.4 points.
Originally a first-round pick in the 2011 draft, he also played for the Rockets, Suns, Pistons and Celtics before signing as a free agent with the Knicks prior to the 2019–20 season.
In July, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the 76ers were interested in bringing Morris back after signing Paul George – Morris’ former teammate on the Clippers – as a free agent to a four-year, $212 million maximum contract.
