Marcus lets Knicks know he won’t go quietly

Whatever happens at the trade deadline, it’s very clear the Knicks would be a lot worse without Marcus Morris.

The team’s best and most consistent player carried the Knicks to a 139-134 overtime victory Monday night over the hapless Cavaliers, taking over in the fourth quarter and connecting on consecutive clutch buckets in OT.

After missing the morning shootaround with an illness, Morris finished with 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting. He scored 10 in the fourth quarter and six in the in the final minute of OT, as the Knicks (15-36) overcame a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit to win their second straight. The Cavs (13-38) lost their 11th consecutive at home.

Morris, 30, represents a conundrum for the Knicks before Thursday’s trade deadline. The Knicks could recoup a first-round pick for Morris, who is on an expiring contract, but also want to re-sign him in free agency. Morris, according to sources, would prefer to remain with the Knicks past the deadline and has told people he expects the team to offer a lucrative multi-year deal in the summer.

Morris, whose agent — Raymond Brothers — is tight with Knicks GM Scott Perry, keeps reminding the Knicks of his importance. He has supplanted Julius Randle as the team’s leading scorer and the go-to player down the stretch.

The Knicks have clearly been active ahead of the Thursday trade deadline, with reports surfacing recently of discussions with the Hornets, Pistons, Cavaliers and Warriors.

They are prime candidates for movement because of a roster composition with eight players (Morris, Taj Gibson, Elfrid Payton, Reggie Bullock, Wayne Ellington, Damyean Dotson, Bobby Portis and Allonzo Trier) who can become free agents in the summer. There are few reasons to keep most of those players on a losing team.

Of course, the deadline is clouded by the front office’s uncertain future. Despite the poor record well into their third season together, it’s possible team president Steve Mills and Perry maintain their positions next season (they have separate contract options). It’s up to owner James Dolan. If they’re replaced after the season, it makes less sense to give Mills and Perry carte blanche during the trade deadline.

The Knicks are in the market for a point guard, according to a source, but that wasn’t a position of concern Monday. Payton, the starter, notched the first triple-double of the Knicks season with 17 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds. Backups Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina were also solid.

But the Knicks don’t win without Morris.