Monte Morris ready to take on Phoenix Suns point guard role

Monte Morris wasn't ready to declare himself the answer to the Phoenix Suns' point guard need, but he did have some thoughts about playing the position alongside stars Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

"I think it's going to make it easier,'' Morris said, during a Zoom press conference Tuesday.

"These players are Hall of Fame players,'' he said, "I'm just excited to share the court with those guys and have some moments, make history.''

The 6-foot-2, Morris, a 7-year NBA veteran who was with Minnesota last season, signed with the Suns as a free agent last week. Terms were not announced, but it's believed he will earn the veteran minimum salary for players with his tenure — about $2.8 million this season.

"Phoenix was the perfect spot for me,'' he said, citing the players, new coach Mike Budenholzer and ''a chance to win the championship.''

By signing Morris, the Suns acquire an experienced point guard who has averaged 10 points, 39% 3-point shooting and 3.8 assists over his career. More important for Phoenix, it fills a glaring need on a team that went last year without a true, starting point guard, instead dividing those duties mainly between Booker and Beal, who are primarily shooting guards.

Morris appeared in just 27 regular games last season with Minnesota after suffering a quad injury, averaging 5.1 points and 2.3 assists per game, but returned for the playoffs, where he appeared in 15 games. He previously played for the Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards and Denver Nuggets. He started in 135 of his 137 appearances from 2021-23, averaging 11.5 points on 48.2% shooting and 4.8 assists.

Morris has a career 5.04 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks as the second-best mark in NBA history among all players to record at least 1,000 career assists, according a news release issued by the team last week. The Suns ranked 14th in turnovers last season, averaging nearly 14 per game.

Asked about turnovers, Morris on Tuesday said it's something his mother always instilled in him when he was young — the need to protect the ball.

"I kind of treat the ball like my momma's purse,'' he said.

Morris said he is looking forward to training camp and the chance to meld with the team, especially the Big 3 of Durant, Booker and Beal.

"I think it's big for me to know their game, know their spots,'' he said.

Morris also noted his defense could be an asset as well, citing his time with the T-Wolves last season when they had the No. 1 defense in the league.

"I didn't want to be a weak link,'' he said. "I plan to be even better here with the Suns and set the tone when my number is called. ''

It's still unclear where Morris would fit in the Phoenix lineup, assuming Booker, Beal and Durant remain starters along with Grayson Allen at the four-spot and Jusuf Nurkic in the middle. But Morris could be one of the first options off the bench, providing relief to Booker or Beal and becoming a facilitator for both of them and Durant, the team's three primary scorers.

He has played in 57 career playoff games across five postseasons, averaging 8.3 points and 3.1 assists in 20.0 minutes.

Originally the 51st overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, he played collegiately at Iowa State University.