There was a rumor that the Denver Nuggets were considering reuniting with a guard they drafted in 2017, but he's no longer on the board.
Tim Connelly, who left Denver to become Minnesota's President of Basketball Operations in 2022, facilitated a trade for Monte Morris on Wednesday afternoon. The 28-year-old won't have an opportunity to compete with the Nuggets for an NBA title, but he'll have that opportunity with the Timberwolves.
Timberwolves are sending Shake Milton, Troy Brown Jr. and one second-round pick to Detroit for Monte Morris, sources said. https://t.co/sb12v2N1gk
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 7, 2024
Minnesota has been one of the surprise teams in the NBA this season, sitting at the top of the West with a 35-16 record (the same as Denver). The Timberwolves had been scouring the market for a backup point guard (subscription required), and they got one in Morris.
Timberwolves trade for former Denver Nuggets guard Monte Morris
After averaging 10.3 points and 5.3 assists per game with the Wizards in 2022-23, the Pistons traded for Morris. He didn't make his 2023-24 debut until the end of January due to a quadricep strain and finished his stint in Detroit with only six games under his belt.
Morris' usage will rise in Minnesota as he'll lead the team's second unit. He's a clear upgrade over Shake Milton, who was sent to Detroit as part of the deal. As Shams Charania mentioned, his playoff experience will be key. He averaged 9.5 points and 3.5 assists per game with Denver in the postseason.
Rather than wait until the final hours of the deadline and risk losing Morris to another team, Connelly acted fast. It didn't seem all that likely that the Nuggets would actually trade for the guard, so it isn't like Minnesota snatched Morris from Denver. Make no mistake, though, acquiring Morris was a smart move for the Timberwolves. Connelly strikes again!
The Nuggets will play the Timberwolves three more times in the regular season, with two of those matchups held at Ball Arena.
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