Marcus Morris and agent Rich Paul separate after controversial free agency
By STEFAN BONDY
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
JUL 14, 2019 | 1:55 AM
New Knick Marcus Morris and his agent Rich Paul have agreed to part ways, sources told the Daily News. The contentious separation comes after a controversial free agency in which Morris, 29, signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Knicks because he reneged on an agreement with the Spurs for two years, $20 million.
The late offer from the Knicks arrived because of unexpected cap space. One of their other free agent targets, Reggie Bullock, had an issue with his physical and the Knicks are reworking his contract for a lesser salary.
ADVERTISEMENT
Morris, according to a source, turned down a three-year, $41 million offer from the Clippers before pivoting to the Spurs and, eventually, the Knicks.
Morris spurned San Antonio for New York (Mary Altaffer/AP)
Paul has emerged as an NBA lightning-rod with his own Sports Illustrated cover story and high-profile clients such as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, John Wall and Ben Simmons. He pushed for Davis’ trade from New Orleans to the Lakers — a saga that essentially sabotaged last season for both teams — and recently secured a max deal for Simmons in Philly. Still, he has never had a player in New York, and it will remain that way after the separation with Morris.
Paul took on Morris as a client while the forward was outplaying a four-year, $20 million deal he signed under agent Leon Rose.
Morris’ decision to default on his agreement with the Spurs came after the team cleared cap space by trading sharpshooter Davis Bertans. San Antonio then signed power forward Trey Lyles, who is another Paul client.
After being rejected by Morris, the Clippers used that space to acquire Moe Harkless and absorb his $11.5 million salary via trade.
Paul’s agency, Klutch Sports, and another one of its clients, Nerlens Noel, went through a rough patch this offseason but ultimately decided to retain the partnership, according to sources. It had reached the point that Noel — before he signed a one-year minimum contract with the Thunder — had told the team to no longer negotiate Klutch.
Noel had backed out of a deal forged on the first day of free agency with OKC, only to quickly reevaluate and re-sign.
Stefan Bondy
New York Daily News
Stefan Bondy covers the New York Knicks for the New York Daily News.
he stay fukking up nikkas bags. There are a bunch of black agents who dont lost their clients millions of dollars, so I'm not trying to hear "bu bu bu dont tear a black man down"
for Rich Paul.
Still 41 million for 3 years is less than 15 mill on the Knicks especially if he out performs.
If Rich told him to turn it down cause it made the Clippers better.
