Monté Robert Morris ( ; born June 27, 1995) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the Iowa State Cyclones.

Early life

Morris was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and his mother is Latonia Morris. His mother nicknamed him "Man-Man" when he was born. He grew up in

Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city in Genesee County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. Located along the Flint River (Michigan), Flint River northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the Central Michigan, Mid Michigan region. Flin ...

attending Flint Beecher High School. Morris was childhood friends with future NBA player and later NBA teammate, Kyle Kuzma, as both attended Dailey Elementary School. He was a four-year starter for the Beecher Buccaneers. Morris was a three-time winner of Michigan's

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Class C Player of the Year Award and a three time all-state selection. He led the Buccaneers in scoring, assists, and steals in all four seasons. He led Flint Beecher to back-to-back Class C Michigan state titles in 2012 and 2013. One of the nation's best point guards, Morris won Michigan's Mr. Basketball award in 2013. He was ranked No. 96 in the final Rivals.com national rankings and No. 89 in the Scout.com ratings as well as being a ''Parade'' All-American. Morris was recruited to

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Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, Arizona State,

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...

USC USC may refer to: Education United States * Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Santurce, Puerto Rico * University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina ** University of South Carolina System, a state university system of South Carolina * ...

, and Iowa State which he ultimately committed to.

College career

Freshman season

Morris started the season on the bench but worked his way into the starting line-up against the

Oklahoma Sooners The Oklahoma Sooners are the college athletics in the United States , athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman, Oklahoma, Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to ...

on February 1, 2014, staying there ever since. Morris averaged 6.8 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.6 rebounds and dished out 134 assists, the third most by any freshman in school history. He shot 84.7 percent (61–72) at the free-throw line, the second-best mark by an ISU freshman, and was the only Big 12 freshman to make at least 25 threes (28–69) and shoot over 40 percent. He scored double figures in 13 games, including all three games in the NCAA tournament. Morris tallied a season-high 15 points in the Cyclones' NCAA Tournament win against NCCU and followed that with 13 against the

North Carolina Tar Heels The North Carolina Tar Heels (also Carolina Tar Heels) are the college sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to ...

. He dished out five or more assists in 12 games and led all Big 12 freshmen with 46 steals, the fifth most by an ISU rookie. His 1.3 steals per game ranked seventh in the Big 12, and he had an ISU freshman record of 12 assists with no turnovers against West Virginia. He played 52 minutes of turnover-free basketball in ISU's triple-OT win at

Oklahoma State Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...

and had 10 points and five assists, including the game-winning 3-pointer with 43 seconds left in the third overtime against the Cowboys. He broke the NCAA record and led the nation with a 4.79 assist-to-turnover ratio, including a 6.9 assist-to-turnover ratio in Big 12 play.

Sophomore season

Morris started all 34 games and averaged 11.9 points, second on the team. He also posted a Big 12-best 5.2 assists and 3.4 rebounds on his way to earning All-Big 12 Second-Team honors. He had second-most assists of any sophomore and 11th-most by any player in school history. Morris was second in the Big 12 in field goal percentage shooting 50.7 percent from the field, had 64 steals, the second-most by a sophomore and tied for the ninth-most by any player in a single season in school history. His 110 steals in the last two seasons were the most by any Big 12 player. His first-career 20-point game came against

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship institution of the five- ...

, he recorded his first double-double and just missed a triple-double with 11 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds against

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

. He tallied a career-high 24 points and hit a buzzer-beating 17-foot fadeaway to beat

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

in Big 12 quarterfinals. He averaged 15.3 points to earn Big 12 All-Tournament team honors as the

Cyclones In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an ant ...

won the Big 12 tournament for the second consecutive season and he did not commit a turnover in three games at the Big 12 Championship. He led the nation for the second consecutive season with a 4.63 assist-to-turnover ratio and finished season with 176 assists and just 38 turnovers.

Junior season

On February 1, 2016, he was named one of 10 finalists for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. He was named to the 35-man midseason watchlist for the

Naismith Trophy The Naismith Trophy is a trophy awarded to the men's champion of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and is named in honor of basketball's inventor, James Naismith. The trophy was first awarded to the winner of the 1967 FIBA World Championship. The ...

on February 11.

Senior season

Morris received preseason recognition on November 2, 2016, as the

named him to the preseason

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

team. At the end of his senior season, Morris broke the NCAA record assist-to-turnover ratio from 4.79 he set his freshman year to the new record of 5.21. In 2017, Morris led Iowa State to a 5th seed in the NCAA tournament and got into the second round before losing to Purdue.

Professional career

Denver Nuggets (2017–2022)

Morris was selected in the second round, 51st pick overall by the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

in the

2017 NBA draft The 2017 NBA draft was held on June 22, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

. Following the Summer League he signed a

two-way contract A two-way contract is a professional sports contract that stipulates that an athlete's salary is dependent upon the league in which the athlete is assigned to play. This is opposed to a one-way contract that would pay the same salary regardless o ...

with the Nuggets. Under the terms of the deal he would split time between the Nuggets and a G League team that would be best designated for him. For Morris, he was assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...

on October 23, 2017. On December 12, 2017, Morris made his NBA debut against the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

. He recorded an assist in three minutes of action. In three games with the Nuggets, he averaged 3.3 points per game. Morris averaged 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game with Rio Grande Valley. On December 29, 2020, Morris scored a career-high 24 points in a 125–115 loss to the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

. On February 16, 2022, Morris scored 13 points, including a game-winning three-point shot as time expired, in a 117–116 win over the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...

Washington Wizards (2022–2023)

On July 6, 2022, Morris was traded, alongside Will Barton, to the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith. Morris made his Wizards debut on October 19, recording seven points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals in a 114–107 win over the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

Detroit Pistons (2023–2024)

On July 6, 2023, Morris was traded to the

in exchange for a future second-round pick. Due to a lengthy recovery from a quadriceps injury to begin the 2023–24 season, Morris played in just six games for the Pistons before being dealt away at the NBA trade deadline.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2024)

On February 8, 2024, Morris was traded to the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...

in exchange for Troy Brown Jr., Shake Milton and a 2030 second-round pick.

Phoenix Suns (2024–present)

On July 5, 2024, Morris signed with the

National team career

On March 20, 2021, Morris committed to play for the Nigerian national team as a naturalized player.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

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, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 6 , , 24.0 , , .493 , , .414 , , .802 , , 2.4 , , 3.6 , , .9 , , .0 , , 10.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 73 , , 12 , , 22.4 , , .459 , , .378 , , .843 , , 1.9 , , 3.5 , , .8 , , .2 , , 9.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 47 , , 13 , , 25.5 , , .481 , , .381 , , .795 , , 2.0 , , 3.2 , , .7 , , .3 , , 10.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 75 , , 74 , , 29.9 , , .484 , , .396 , , .869 , , 3.0 , , 4.4 , , .7 , , .2 , , 12.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Washington , 62 , , 61 , , 27.4 , , .480 , , .382 , , .831 , , 3.4 , , 5.3 , , .7 , , .2 , , 10.3 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;",

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, 6 , , 0 , , 11.4 , , .364 , , .182 , , .500 , , 2.0 , , 1.3 , , .2 , , .2 , , 4.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, 27 , , 0 , , 15.1 , , .417 , , .424 , , .706 , , 1.7 , , 2.3 , , .7 , , .3 , , 5.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 45 , , 0 , , 12.7 , , .426 , , .360 , , .857 , , 1.5 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , .1 , , 5.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 420 , , 166 , , 23.4 , , .474 , , .389 , , .827 , , 2.4 , , 3.6 , , .7 , , .2 , , 9.5

Playoffs

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2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

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, 14 , , 0 , , 16.0 , , .384 , , .000 , , .692 , , 1.4 , , 2.6 , , .4 , , .1 , , 5.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

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, 19 , , 4 , , 21.4 , , .496 , , .300 , , .824 , , 1.5 , , 2.7 , , .6 , , .1 , , 9.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

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, 10 , , 1 , , 28.6 , , .431 , , .400 , , .724 , , 2.4 , , 5.5 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 13.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

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, 5 , , 5 , , 31.1 , , .490 , , .423 , , .750 , , 2.2 , , 5.4 , , 1.2 , , .0 , , 14.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

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, 9 , , 0 , , 7.4 , , .300 , , .071 , , 1.000 , , .7 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , .1 , , 2.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 57 , , 10 , , 20.0 , , .440 , , .301 , , .767 , , 1.6 , , 3.1 , , .6 , , .1 , , 8.3

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2013–14 , style="text-align:left;", Iowa State , 36 , , 17 , , 28.1 , , .430 , , .406 , , .847 , , 2.6 , , 3.7 , , 1.3 , , .2 , , 6.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;", Iowa State , 34 , , 34 , , 33.9 , , .507 , , .395 , , .753 , , 3.4 , , 5.2 , , 1.9 , , .4 , , 11.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 , style="text-align:left;", Iowa State , 35 , , 35 , , 38.0 , , .487 , , .358 , , .729 , , 3.9 , , 6.9 , , 1.8 , , .3 , , 13.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;", Iowa State , 35 , , 35 , , 35.3 , , .465 , , .378 , , .802 , , 4.8 , , 6.2 , , 1.5 , , .3 , , 16.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 140 , , 121 , , 33.8 , , .476 , , .381 , , .780 , , 3.7 , , 5.5 , , 1.6 , , .3 , , 12.2

References

External links

Iowa State Cyclones bio

ESPN.com profile

CBSSports.com profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Monte 1995 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen American men's basketball players Basketball players from Flint, Michigan Basketball players from Grand Rapids, Michigan Denver Nuggets draft picks Denver Nuggets players Detroit Pistons players Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball players Minnesota Timberwolves players Naturalized citizens of Nigeria Nigerian men's basketball players Nigeria men's national basketball team players Nigerian people of African-American descent Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Phoenix Suns players Point guards Rio Grande Valley Vipers players Washington Wizards players 21st-century Nigerian sportsmen