The Charlotte Bobcats announced that they have signed their first round draft pick Adam Morrison. The Bobcats selected Morrison with the third overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft held on June 28.

“We are pleased to sign Adam and to get him on the basketball court with our team,” Bobcats General Manager Bernie Bickerstaff said. “He is a quality young man and a fine talent who we are excited to have as part of our organization. We have already seen how his skills will benefit our team and how competitive he is on the court.”

The 6-8, 205-pound forward is participating with the Bobcats entry in the Orlando Summer League from July 10-14 and then will be one of 23 selected players for the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team program that begins training camp on July 19 in Las Vegas.

“I am glad to sign my first contract and start my NBA career here in Charlotte. It has been a lifelong dream to play in the NBA,” Morrison said. “I look forward to doing whatever I can to help the Bobcats take the next step as we build towards a championship.”

Morrison was named Player of the Year by CBS this past season and earned Co-Player of the Year honors from NABC and USBWA. In leading Gonzaga to a top-five ranking during the season, he paced the nation with 28.1 points and set a school record with a total of 926 points. The 6-8 forward scored 30-plus points in 14 games and he topped the 40-point mark five times, including a career-best 44 points at Loyola Marymount.

The Spokane, Washington, native completed his three-year career at his hometown university with 1,867 points and he shot .503 from the field and .368 from three-point range. In 2004, he was a member of the gold-medal winning USA World Championship for Young Men Qualifying squad where he was a teammate of Bobcats forward Sean May.