Minnesota Timberwolves acquire Monte Morris from Detroit Pistons

The Minnesota Timberwolves have finalized a deal with the Detroit Pistons to acquire guard Monte Morris in exchange for Shake Milton, Troy Brown Jr., and a 2030 second-round pick per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Brown Jr. and Milton played limited roles for the Timberwolves this season. Brown Jr. only managed 11.1 minutes per contest, while Milton spent 12.9 minutes per game on the hardwood.

Their contracts include team options for next season, allowing the Pistons to potentially cut ties with the players without incurring any additional financial burden.

Meanwhile, Morris, who was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 2017 NBA draft, joined the Pistons in 2023 via trade last Summer.

The Pistons acquired Morris from the Washington Wizards during the 2023 offseason in a trade that involved a future second-round selection. However, he suffered a quadriceps injury and did not make his Pistons debut until January 24 against the Charlotte Hornets.

Coming back from a serious injury, Morris' performance has been underwhelming, as he has averaged 4.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 11.3 minutes per contest. Furthermore, he's shooting just 36.4% from the field.

In 2022-2023, Morris was traded to the Washington Wizards alongside Will Barton in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith. In his lone season in the nation's capital, Morris averaged 10.3 points and a career-high 5.3 assists per game.

Although it took nearly two entire rounds to hear his name called, Morris has carved out a nice career. He averaged 10.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in five seasons with the Nuggets while shooting 48.1% from the field and 39.4% from deep.

Still, despite limited appearances this season, Morris has averaged 10 or more points per game in four of his seven NBA seasons.

Morris adds a valuable layer of depth to the Timberwolves' point guard position. He provides reliable backup support to veteran Mike Conley. Throughout the season, Jordan McLaughlin has primarily served as the backup guard averaging just 2.7 points and 1.8 assists.

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