The New York Knicks made a pair of signings official on Tuesday, announcing the arrivals of shooting guard Reggie Bullock and forward Marcus Morris.
Both deals continued the trend of the Knicks piecing together a veteran presence with cheap deals to support a core built on young, developing talents.
Morris’ one-year deal is worth $15 million where he could initially start at the small forward position in front of 2018 lottery pick Kevin Knox.
He initially backed out of a deal with the San Antonio Spurs to join the Knicks which is an indication that he’ll be utilized more at Madison Square Garden.
Before he was a reserve power forward for the Boston Celtics, the 29-year-old Morris was the Detroit Pistons’ starting small forward from 2015-2017.
That time in Detroit was the best stretch of his career as he averaged 14.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
If the Knicks are hesitant to roll out their all-under-25 lineup of Dennis Smith Jr., RJ Barrett, Knox, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson, Morris will slot in alongside Randle.
The signing of Bullock was a bit more difficult as a medical issue forced the sides to re-work the deal.
After initially agreeing to a two-year, $21 million deal, Bullock’s deal with the Knicks will now only be worth $8.2 million, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The undisclosed injury is expected to hold Bullock out for the first month of the regular season.
Bullock, 28, has hit new heights in the last two years. After trudging through his first four NBA seasons, averaging just 3.0 points in 11.1 minutes per game with the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, and Pistons, he was finally given a chance with Detroit.
In nearly 28 minutes per game in 2017-18, Bullock averaged 11.3 points. He put up those same numbers last season with the Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers, putting up a 40.5-percent three-point field goal percentage over the last two years.
Once Bullock is healthy, he’ll add depth at the shooting guard position where minutes will be up for grabs between rookie RJ Barrett, Allonzo Trier, and Damyean Dotson.
He can also play at the 3, adding another option alongside Knox, Morris, and Wayne Ellington.
