Less than a month since he suited up for the Indiana Pacers, point guard Monte Morris is reportedly signing with Olympiacos of the EuroLeague.
Morris played in six games for Indiana this season and averaged 3 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 35% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc. The Pacers waived the 30-year-old in November to sign Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to a standard contract.
This move comes as a bit of a surprise, given that Morris is a very solid point guard. He didn't do too much during his time with the Pacers, but he has long been a dependable and effective player. Morris earned Sixth Man of the Year votes with the Denver Nuggets in 2018-19, and he played 45 games for the Phoenix Suns just last season.
He was never likely to carve out a consistent role in Indiana, largely because of who is ahead of him. The Pacers only really brought him in as an emergency point guard with Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, and T.J. McConnell all on the shelf at the time of his signing. Even so, there is a lot to like about his game.
Morris is a smart point guard with high basketball IQ. In nine seasons in the NBA, he has averaged 3.6 assists to just 0.7 turnovers. Additionally, he is a fantastic three-point shooter, connecting on 38.8% of his shots on 2.9 attempts per game throughout his career.
He has his downsides, particularly defensively. And it doesn't help that he is 6-foot-3 and is too small to play shooting guard, and that lack of versatility doesn't bode well for his long-term outlook. Regardless, he is a solid point guard who can play his role very well and contribute to winning basketball.
It was clear that the Pacers no longer had a use for him as they got healthier, but Morris is still good enough to be in the NBA. As it stands, the Michigan native is likely going to play overseas for at least the rest of the season. But if he plays well enough, he may have an opportunity to make his way back to the NBA at some point and remind the basketball world just effective he can be in the right role.