[Saba Sports News] Free agent Marcus Morris agreed to a one-year deal with the Knicks, according to the Shams. Later, the Knicks announced that the team signed Marcus Morris to an Exhibit 9 contract.
(Source: Getty Image)
Morris, 35, will be in his 14th season in the NBA. He averaged 6.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 49 games for the 76ers and Cavaliers last season.
Exhibit 9 is a provision that reduces risk for teams and gives more players access. According to NBA rules, if a player with an unguaranteed contract is injured while playing for a team, his contract becomes guaranteed for the season and the team is required to pay him until he returns to health or the season is over. This rule reduces the incentive for teams to sign in the offseason, because even if they can have up to 20 players during the preseason, teams don’t necessarily want to sign more, especially since the last few players are often just competing for the last roster spot or two. If those players are injured during training camp or the preseason, the team has to pay the operating costs.
Exhibit 9 neatly solves this problem by stating that if a player with a training camp contract that included this clause is injured, the team can cut him by paying only $6,000. The clause has been common this offseason, including Vonleh’s contract with the Celtics and Yuta Watanabe’s with the Nets.