When healthy, New York can field a starting lineup of Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Anunoby, Julius Randle and Isaiah Hartenstein. Mitchell Robinson could regain the starting center job once he returns from injury sometime after the All-Star break, but it may take him some time to reacclimate. Off the bench, the Knicks would have Bogdanovic, Josh Hart, Burks, Achiuwa and Miles McBride. When fully healthy, they have 11 players Thibodeau can trust to make an impact.
While New York already has a deep roster, it could add more on the buyout market. The front office has two open roster spots following Thursday’s trade.
One of the candidates is Marcus Morris Sr.
Marcus Morris Sr. was involved in a trade at the deadline and was subsequently acquired by the San Antonio Spurs. The 34-year-old forward has played in 34 games this season, averaging 6.7 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 43.9 percent from the floor and 40 percent from three. While Morris isn’t the player he once was, he is still a quality shooter and physical defender with plenty of playoff experience.
Morris played for New York in the 2019-20 season and was having a career season before they shipped him to the Los Angeles Clippers at the trade deadline. Returning to the Knicks would make sense, as the veteran forward will likely want to join a contender. Morris has played for a few contenders over the years but has yet to win a championship.
He could come in and be a very impactful player, especially given the Knicks’ current injury situation. Anunoby and Randle will both be out for several weeks. New York could use a player like Morris who can contribute and be a veteran leader in the team’s postseason run.