The Utah Jazz have signed guard Darryl Morsell to an Exhibit 10 contract. This is a nonguaranteed deal. On Sunday, the team also waived Saben Lee.
Morsell went undrafted out of Marquette. He played his first four seasons with Maryland. In 157 appearances in the NCAA, the shooting guard averaged 9.6 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.
During his freshman 2017-18 season, Morsell averaged 8.7 points, 4.4 boards, and 2 assists per contest in 32 games played. The Baltimore native also shot 42.4% from the floor.
According to a few NBA betting sites, the Jazz possess the 27th-lowest odds of winning a championship in 2023. This is expected after team executive Danny Ainge traded away Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.
We have waived Saben Lee and signed Darryl Morsell https://t.co/waj1k91qDA
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 10, 2022
In the following season, the guard logged 8.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 33 appearances with Maryland. Plus, he shot 45.9% from the field and 29% from 3-point range.
Then, during his junior 2019-20 season, Morsell recorded 8.5 points, 4.7 boards, and 2.1 assists per contest in 31 games. Not to mention, he finished with a then career-high 33.3% shooting from beyond the arc.
In the 2020-21 season, the shooting guard averaged 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 30 appearances.
Of course, he then won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and was selected to the Big Ten All-Defensive First Team.
Darryl Morsell inks an Exhibit 10 contract with the Jazz
Last April, Morsell declared for the 2021 NBA Draft. However, he decided to return to college as a fifth-year senior. After transferring to Marquette, he made starts in 31 games.
Not only did the guard average a career-high 13.4 points per game, but he also logged 4 boards and 2.8 assists while shooting 44.6% from the floor and 34.7% from long range.
Jazz scouts are most impressed by Morsell’s durability. He was healthy all throughout his NCAA career. The 23-year-old is a proven mid-range shooter as well.
On November 12, 2021, in Marquette’s 75-70 win over New Hampshire, the guard posted a career-best 26 points in 34 minutes of action. He finished 8-of-12 (66.7%) shooting from the field. To add to that, Morsell shot 3-of-5 (60%) from beyond the arc.
Moreover, the guard tied his career high in scoring on January 15, 2022. In Marquette’s 73-72 win against Seton Hall, Morsell ended his performance with 26 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block.
Now, Darryl Morsell will have an opportunity to play with the Jazz in the 2022-23 season. An Exhibit 10 contract can be converted into a two-way deal. But teams have until the start of the regular season to convert this particular contract.
Even then, Morsell will likely spend most of his time with the Salt Lake City Stars, the team’s NBA G League affiliate.
Shooting guard Johnny Juzang occupies one of the Jazz’s two-way spots. And center Cody Zeller inked an Exhibit 9 contract with the team in September.
