Monte Morris has signed the expected two-way contract that the NBA has implemented this year for the 16th and 17th roster spots and is officially a part of the Denver Nuggets’ roster for 2017-18, joining Torrey Craig on a similar deal. Per the CBA rules, Denver’s newest point guard will have a maximum of 45 days on the NBA roster, with the rest of his time logged in the G League (formerly the NBA Developmental League).
Morris was a bit of a steal on a strange draft night. “We were jumping for joy when he was still available,” Denver’s scouting director Scott Howard said after the pick. Whether that was draft hyperbole or not, Denver Nuggets fans looked forward to seeing him in Summer League and he did not disappoint. He was the clear winner in a competition with 2015 draft pick Nikola Radičević after he adjusted to Summer League play, getting better with every game and showing his patented ball security (Morris is the all-time NCAA leader in assist-to-turnover ratio). His three-point range is questionable but can be improved – look, if Darrell Arthur can do it, Morris can – and he showed how completely unafraid he was to finish in the paint amongst the trees or lead fastbreak opportunities.
Morris could be the backup point guard of the future, able to score and facilitate the offense while keeping mistakes to a minimum, but this season he’ll be logging time in the G League for an as-yet-undetermined team while he adjusts to professional basketball. Welcome to the Nuggets officially, Monte – we certainly hope to see many good things from you in the future.
