Marcus Morris Sr. would welcome a return to his hometown Sixers: ‘It just felt different’

Marcus Morris Sr. wants the simple things when it comes to his next NBA job.

Having made more than $100 million in his career, the 34-year-old isn’t looking to break the bank. Nor does the North Philly native have a lot of demands.

“I’m not trying to overdo anything,” Morris said Tuesday. “I know the game. I’ve been around 14 years. I’m still playing. I just want to come in and help a team, be a voice, be a vet, but still compete at a high level.

“I also want to be somewhere I already know what the team needs. I want to be a piece that’s versatile and playing, starting or either coming off [the bench], and helping younger guys and things like that.”

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On paper, Morris returning to the 76ers would be perfect for both parties.

The Sixers missed the power forward’s toughness, leadership, and stellar play after they traded him to the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 8. Additionally, their current roster doesn’t have a true power forward.

But the Sixers have 13 players signed to standard NBA contracts. During the regular season, they’ll look to carry 14 players and keep one roster spot open. As a result, they’ll likely add only one more player.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Sixers are interested in obtaining the 6-foot-8, 218-pounder for that spot. According to sources, 6-10 sharpshooter Dāvis Bertāns is another player they are interested in acquiring.

Whatever happens, Morris still should be fine.

According to sources, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, and Minnesota Timberwolves have shown interest. The Dallas Mavericks were interested before making roster moves.

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For Morris’ comfort level, the Sixers and Cavs appear to have the best chances to land him. After being bought out by the Spurs, Morris signed with Cleveland in March. He fit in nicely and was one of their best players in the postseason.

The Sixers only have a one-year veteran-minimum salary of $3.3 million available to offer him. Sources say the Cavs, who are highly interested, are prepared to give Morris nearly double that amount. Despite that, Morris can still see himself coming back to the Sixers.

“For sure,” he said. “I built a really good relationship with those guys. … Obviously being here with [Joel] Embiid and going [against] Philly for a long time, and then just being on his side, it just felt different.

“It felt like it was something that just helped my career. You know sometimes you’ve been doing it for so long that you find different things that get you up for playing. Being home is one of those things for me.”

The versatile Morris played power forward and center when needed for the Sixers, averaging 6.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 17.2 minutes while shooting 40% on three-pointers last season. He went 5-for-5 on three-pointers while scoring 15 points against the Pistons on Dec. 15. Morris went 4-for-5 from deep in two other games and had six games with at least three three-pointers as a Sixer.

“Being home … I just felt so free,” Morris said. “I just felt so much love. So it’s like, yeah, man, I would definitely entertain coming back. I just hope … we can get something going hopefully.

“But it’s business, too. At the same time, no love lost if we can’t.”

He also enjoyed his time in Cleveland, where he averaged 5.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 15 minutes while shooting 41.4% on three-pointers.

“Everybody in the front office is top-notch,” he said of the Cavs. “It’s a top-notch organization, top-notch players. They are really cool. They are young, but they are really good. Everybody comes to work, everybody enjoys being there.

“I really enjoyed my time there. They were really good people. I didn’t know what to expect, but when I got there, I loved it.”

Still, one could argue that his high basketball IQ, selfless play, and Philly toughness would help take the Sixers reach another level. And he has already played with and has a solid relationship with most of the Sixers. He worked well with Embiid and Tyrese Maxey last season, and he did the same playing with Paul George while they were members of the Los Angeles Clippers.

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And Morris didn’t have a problem meshing with Kelly Oubre Jr. in Philly last season, or with Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson during the trio’s time with the Detroit Pistons. Morris also played with Jackson and Eric Gordon as a Clipper. The same with his mentee KJ Martin, who also was a Sixers teammate last season. Also, Morris and fellow North Philadelphian Kyle Lowry played together as Houston Rockets.

“It’s about the fit, man,” Morris said. “We talk about fit. Obviously, sometimes even when it’s perfect, sometimes it still doesn’t happen. So, obviously, I still have a couple of teams.

“I’m just taking my time, because everybody needs a vet that can still play and [be a part of a] good situation in the locker room. I’m just taking my time to see what comes to be, what’s good for both sides.”