Knicks are reportedly eyeing Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris in free agency

The biggest night in recent Knicks history has nearly arrived, but regardless of how the ping pong balls play out Tuesday night the team will have a plethora of roster decisions to make this summer, and a new report says multiple members of this year’s Boston Celtics could wind up in the Orange and Blue next season.

It’s no secret that the Knicks are interested signing Kyrie Irving and pairing him with another major free agent who you might have heard of with the initials “KD,” but according to NBC Sports the ‘Bockers also have their sights set on Terry Rozier and Marcus Morris.

Both Rozier and Morris will be free agents this summer, and neither will command a max contract, unlike Irving and Durant, not to mention many of the other potential targets that have been bandied about for the Knicks. This idea of who will fill out the rest of the roster next year is certainly important, and it’s something that has gotten a bit lost in the discussion as everyone tries to predict which BIG TIME free agents the Knicks are going to use their cap space on.

For his part, Knicks general manager Scott Perry has been saying all the right things. In fact, in a Monday interview on ESPN’s Golic & Wingo radio show, Perry said “we’re going to play the hand we’re dealt [in free agency].”

“Whatever happens, we know we’re going to add some talent to the roster this summer,” Perry added. “And we think we’ll have a better basketball team next year. How much better obviously will depend on the level of free agent that we’re able to attract and how much we’ve improved internally with our young players from this past season.”

Here, listen to the entire interview with Perry yourself.

The Knicks seem to be heading into free agency with the right mindset. If they fail to land the top of the crop, they don’t have to just sign whoever is biggest name left on the board. Meanwhile, Perry clearly realizes that, even if the Knicks do land the major free agents they desire, there are many other roster spots left to be filled, and the best thing to do would be to fill those holes with talented basketball players.

Apparently, the Knicks have had Rozier on their radar for awhile, with NBC Sports reporting that the team’s interest “has been steady,” that it increased following his impressive performance in last year’s playoffs, and continued through this season.

Rozier is a restricted free agent, which means that the Celtics could match any offer the Knicks make. But he has seemed pretty fed up with his role in Boston recently, so it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if he winds up elsewhere next season. Rozier’s minutes were down this year, despite a significant leap he made the previous season. Not believing that Rozier is unhappy? Here’s a recent quote of his, per NBC Sports:

”I don’t give a f--- what nobody say, I sacrificed the most out of anybody,” Rozier told Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill. “I’m a top point guard in this league. I feel like it’s a fresh start, whether I’m here or whether I’m gone.”

To date, here are Rozier’s stats:

Basketball-reference.com

We can all agree that it would be pretty neat if the Knicks somehow stole both Kyrie and Rozier from our Boston rivals, right?

When it comes to Morris, the Knicks are into his “tough, rugged brand of basketball,” according to NBC Sports. He also played quite well in the playoffs for the Celtics, averaging about 28 minutes a game and posting 13.7 points (51.9% from the field, 45% from three) and 8.1 rebounds.

Morris is, of course, a twin. His brother, Markieff, is also a free agent this summer. Might the Knicks sign both and reunite the brothers? Only time will tell.

Regardless, the wait for free agency is almost over! July 1 draws ever nearer, and after Tuesday’s draft lottery we’ll have a better idea of what position the Knicks are going to be in. Now everyone cross your fingers and pray that tomorrow is the 1985 draft lottery all over again.