Murray State standout Ja Morant has a lot to be excited about. He's projected to be a top-2 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, and now he's just signed an endorsement deal with Nike.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported news of Morant's deal with Nike on Monday morning:
Murray State’s Ja Morant — a projected top-2 NBA Draft pick — has signed a multiyear endorsement deal with Nike, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 27, 2019
Morant later sent a tweet of his own to confirm, noting that he is proud to “work for the check:”
All my life my parents worked for a check. Now I’m proud to say I work for the check. #Nike #NikeBasketball pic.twitter.com/b1mTTJLySr
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) May 27, 2019
For a variety of good reasons, several mock drafts have Morant going no later than the No. 3 pick in this year's draft. The 6-3 guard is a truly dynamic playmaker with excellent court vision. In fact, the South Carolina native led the NCAA in assists last season. He also has a decent shot from range, which is likely appealing to NBA teams.
In 33 appearances with the Racers during their 2018-19 campaign, Morant racked up averages of 25.4 points on 49.9 percent shooting from the field (36.3 percent from beyond the arc), 10.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.8 steals and just under one block (0.8) in 36.6 minutes per outing.
Morant burst onto the scene during the 2019 NCAA Tournament, scoring 17 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists in a 83-64 win over Marquette. He finished his 2018-19 collegiate season as the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and was a consensus first-team All-American.
The Pelicans landed the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NBA Draft. Most experts believe New Orleans will take Duke Zion Williamson with that selection, leaving the Memphis Grizzlies in prime position to take Morant.
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