Juwan Morgan

Juwan Morgan's Biography

Juwan Christopher Morgan was born on April 17, 1997, in the United States. His parents, Darren and Lynn Morgan, both served in the American army. A sports enthusiast from an early age, Morgan initially pursued football where he played both as a wide receiver and quarterback. However, when he reached the height of 6’3 by the age of 13, Juwan transferred his concentration towards basketball.

He joined an Advanced Athletic Union Team, MOKAN Basketball, based in Kansas City, Missouri. He played for the locally acclaimed Waynesville High School, where he quickly rose to prominence and became a celebrated player. He concluded his junior year in high school as the recipient of local newspaper Springfield News-Leader’s postseason team, and an honored player under the All-USA Ozarks category sponsored by American Family. As a talented four-star recruit according to Rivals.com, he was the 16th ranked power forward of his class.

In September of 2014, Juwan pledged to play college basketball for Indiana University (IU). The decision saw him pass up opportunities from Vanderbilt and Creighton Universities. As a freshman at IU, Juwan averaged 2.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game, which increased impressively to 7.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in his sophomore year. During his junior year, due to a season-ending injury to a teammate, Juwan doubled up as the team’s center. His performance continued to improve, scoring a career-high of 28 points in a game and leading his team to an 87-70 victory over Arkansas State.

He scored 34 points and 11 rebounds in an 80-77 win over Notre Dame in the Crossroads Classic event. Juwan was listed as NBCSports.com National Player of the Week and the Big Ten Conference Player of the Week. He completed his final junior year at college clocking an average of 16.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, subsequently declaring for the 2018 NBA draft.

In the lead-up to his senior year, the power forward was honored with the “Off-season Champions” Award for his efforts in the basketball conditioning program. The recognition flowed in, as he was named the Preseason All-Big Ten team, the Big Ten Player of the Week, and was ranked the 7th best senior by ESPN.com.

After leaving IU, Juwan went undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft session but was listed in the Utah Jazz mini-camp for the NBA Summer League that year. Later that year, he signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Utah Jazz before being waved in the preseason. He then went on to play for their NBA G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.

In 2019, Juwan secured a two-way contract with the Jazz, allowing him to spend the season alternating between Utah Jazz and the Salt Lake City Stars. The following year, he re-signed with the Jazz and later in 2021, signed on with the Boston Celtics, though he was waived in October of the same year. He subsequently signed with the Maine Celtics and in the 13 games to follow, averaged 12.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 31.6 minutes per game.

Towards the end of 2021, he signed a 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors. A few months into 2022, Juwan was reacquired by the Maine Celtics, then later by the Boston Celtics, with whom he signed a multi-year deal. He had the chance to play in the playoffs and his team, the Celtics, fought their way to the NBA Finals.

In mid-2022, Juwan was involved in an exchange deal and moved to the Indiana Pacers, only to be waived shortly after. He briefly signed with the Los Angeles Clippers and then joined their training camp based in Ontario.

September 2023 marked a turning point in his career, as he moved overseas and joined Runa Basket Moscow, a member of the reputable VTB United League. As it stands, Juwan Christopher Morgan has enjoyed an eventful professional basketball career, characterized by multiple wins and transfers among elite basketball institutions both at the local and international level.