Monta Ellis (/ˈmɒnteɪ/ MON-tay; born October 26, 1985) is a former American professional basketball player. Ellis attended Lanier High School in Jackson, Mississippi, where he was a McDonald's All-American and first-team Parade All-American. He entered the NBA directly out of high school, being drafted with the 40th overall pick by the Golden State Warriors in the 2005 NBA draft. In 2007, he was named the NBA Most Improved Player. During his time with the Warriors, Ellis was one of the best scorers in the league, averaging close to 25 points per game on two occasions. After six and a half seasons with Golden State, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in March 2012. A season and a half with the Bucks was followed by two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks and two seasons with the Indiana Pac