Marcus Garrett
Marcus Garrett | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 9, 1998 United States |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Known for | Playing for Kansas Jayhawks, Greensboro Swarm, Miami Heat |
Marcus Garrett (born November 9, 1998) is a professional basketball athlete from the United States currently playing for the Greensboro Swarm in the NBA G League. He played collegiate basketball representing the Kansas Jayhawks.
Early life
Garrett started engaging with basketball at the age of four. Initially, his primary sport was football, but after suffering a broken leg in sixth grade, he transitioned to focusing on basketball. His uncle, Matt Watts—a former player at San Diego State—coached him and included him on his AAU team, Swag House, where Garrett competed against older opponents.
While attending Skyline High School in Dallas, Texas, Garrett grew from 6'2" as a freshman. During his final year, he posted averages of 17.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 3.1 steals, and 2.9 blocks per game. He guided his team to the Class 6A state semifinals and was honored as Texas's Gatorade Player of the Year. Recognized as a consensus four-star recruit and one of Texas's premier prospects in 2017, Garrett committed to Kansas despite offers from Texas and Baylor.
College career
During his freshman year at Kansas, Garrett averaged 4.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists across 19.2 minutes per game. He quickly gained recognition for his defensive capabilities but was viewed as a liability offensively due to subpar three-point shooting. On November 13, 2017, he earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors after recording a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in a victory over Tennessee State. In his sophomore season, Garrett enhanced his decision-making skills and saw increased playing time despite missing six games because of a high ankle sprain. His defensive prowess earned him a spot on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team after averaging 7.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game.
On February 15, 2020, Garrett achieved a career-best performance by scoring 24 points—including six three-pointers—in an 87–70 triumph against Oklahoma. As a junior starter in all 31 games, he averaged 9.2 points, 4.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per contest. His efforts were recognized with Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors as well as selections to both the All-Defensive Team and third-team All-Big 12. On April 1, 2020, he was awarded the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award.
In his senior campaign, Garrett posted averages of 11 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He received Second Team All-Big 12 recognition along with another selection to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. On April 21, 2021, he declared for the NBA draft that year, opting not to utilize an additional year of eligibility.
Miami Heat (2021–2022)
After not being selected in the 2021 NBA draft, Garrett participated with the Miami Heat during the 2021 NBA Summer League. He signed a two-way contract with Miami on September 2, 2021, dividing his time between the Heat and their NBA G League affiliate team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. On January 16, 2022, Garrett was released following a wrist injury that required season-ending surgery.
Garrett rejoined Miami on another two-way deal on July 16, 2022; however, he was waived on October 13 due to a fractured wrist injury.
Sioux Falls Skyforce (2022–2023)
Garrett returned to participate in the Sioux Falls Skyforce training camp on October 24, 2022.
Greensboro Swarm (2023–present)
Although Garrett signed with MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg of the Basketball Bundesliga and Basketball Champions League on September 26, 2023, he did not appear in any games for the team. He subsequently joined the Greensboro Swarm roster on December 11.
On September 11, 2024, Garrett inked a deal with the Charlotte Hornets, but was released on October 2. He then re-signed with Greensboro on October 27.
Charlotte Hornets (2025)
Garrett secured a 10-day contract with the Charlotte Hornets on March 12, 2025. After the agreement concluded on March 22, the team opted not to extend his contract.
NBA
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Miami | 12 || 0 || 10.7 || .238 || .250 || .400 || 1.9 || .6 || .4 || .3 || 1.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Charlotte | 4 || 0 || 19.8 || .407 || .375 || .750 || 1.5 || 3.3 || .8 || .5 || 7.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 16 || 0 || 12.9 || .333 || .333 || .556 || 1.8 || 1.3 || .5 || .3 || 2.6
College
|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2017–18 | style="text-align:left;"| Kansas | 39 || 7 || 19.2 || .456 || .267 || .490 || 3.4 || 1.1 || .9 || .2 || 4.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2018–19 | style="text-align:left;"| Kansas | 30 || 13 || 27.9 || .422 || .245 || .587 || 4.2 || 1.9 || 1.4 || .3 || 7.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2019–20 | style="text-align:left;"| Kansas | 31 || 31 || 32.2 || .442 || .327 || .609 || 4.5 || 4.6 || 1.8 || .3 || 9.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21 | style="text-align:left;"| Kansas | 29 || 29 || 33.0 || .459 || .348 || .808|| 4.6|| 3.7|| 1.6|| .3|| 11.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career ||129||80||27.4||.445||.302||.635||4.1||2.7||1.4||.3||7.6