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The Golden State Warriors have signed second round draft choice Monta Ellis to a multi-year contract, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

Ellis, 19, was selected by Golden State with the 40th overall pick (10th in the second round) of the 2005 NBA Draft out of Lanier High School in Jackson, MS. In five games as part of the Warriors’ summer league squad at the Reebok Vegas Summer League in July, Ellis averaged 15.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.00 steals in 31.2 minutes. The first American high school player ever selected by the Warriors, his summer league scoring average (15.8 ppg) led all second round picks participating in the Las Vegas league and ranked second among all 2005 second round picks in any NBA summer league (Salim Stoudimire 16.5 ppg, Rocky Mountain Review).

A 2005 McDonald’s All-American, Ellis was one of 10 finalists for the 2005 Naismith Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top high school player. He was named Mr. Basketball in the state of Mississippi following his senior season, when he averaged 38.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 4.5 steals while leading his team to a 35-2 record and the Class 4A state championship. He scored a career-high 72 points against Greenwood and tallied 42 points against Oak Hill Academy, which was ranked #1 in the nation by USA Today. Overall during his four-year scholastic career, the 6-3, 175-pound guard racked up 4,167 points (second all-time in Mississippi history among big-school players) and helped lead his team to four consecutive trips to the state championship finals, where they captured two titles (2002, 2005).