TUALATIN -- Anthony Morrow arrived in Portland last week with a suitcase and an opportunity, one of three players fighting for a roster spot with the Trail Blazers.

It's a fitting situation for a player who has spent nine seasons in the NBA fighting to prove he belongs.

"My whole career is basically based off fighting," Morrow said. "So for it to be like that from the beginning and now, towards the end, it's only right for me and my life and what I've been through."

Morrow's path to Portland is the stuff Wesley Matthews legends are made of. He went undrafted out of Georgia Tech in 2008, played on three different summer league teams, then signed an $80,000 contract to play in Ukraine, punting on his NBA dreams. But at the 11th hour, one of the teams he played for at summer league -- the Golden State Warriors -- offered a two-year contract worth about $1 million, and Morrow's dream was suddenly reborn.

He didn't sniff the Warriors' rotation until November, when injuries created a chance for Morrow to play. Four games into his NBA career -- during his first NBA start -- he torched the Los Angeles Clippers, recording 37 points and 11 rebounds, while making 15 of 20 shots, including 4 of 5 three-pointers. Three nights later, during a win over the Blazers in Portland, he had another improbable performance, scoring 25 points, and was well on his way to becoming a fan favorite in Oakland.

By the end of the season, he had shot 46.7 percent from long range to become the first rookie in NBA history to lead the league in three-point shooting percentage.

The next summer, during a game at Las Vegas Summer League, Morrow scored a record 47 points while making 7 of 9 three-pointers in an incredible individual performance people still talk to him about every couple of weeks.

A sharpshooter reputation was born.

"There are guys in the league that we call three-point specialists," All-Star point guard Damian Lillard said. "He's definitely one of them. If he gets a good look, the shot's going in."

But a nice rookie season does not make an NBA career and Morrow's fight was only beginning. The next summer, the Warriors drafted a promising rookie named Stephen Curry and the first building block to their championship run was established. Morrow averaged 13.0 points and shot 45.6 percent from three-point range playing alongside Curry the next season, but the Warriors -- who had Monta Ellis and would later draft Klay Thompson -- traded Morrow that summer to the Nets, who had signed him to a free agent offer sheet.

Since then, he's bounced around the league like a ping pong ball, playing for six teams in seven seasons, while never spending more than two-and-a-half years in one city. He's been traded four times, including twice during a contract season (2012-13) and most recently last season, when the Thunder shipped him to the Chicago Bulls at the trade deadline.

Despite the turbulence, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard has become one of the game's best marksmen. During his nine-year career, Morrow has shot 41.7 percent from three-point range, the fifth-best active mark in the NBA and 13th-best mark in league history. Over the years, he's ranked among the top six in three-point shooting four times, most recently in 2014-15, when he shot 43.4 percent for the Thunder.

But Morrow, who turned 32 on Wednesday, saw little-to-no interest from teams this summer. July came and went. August passed. And by the time September rolled around, Morrow -- who had been working out four or five times a week in Charlotte and Atlanta -- thought his career might be over.

"It ran across my mind, especially as it got later into the summer," Morrow said. "You see guys signing and you wonder: 'Is this it?'"

If it had been it, Morrow was at peace with that reality. He already had started plotting his next move, delving into a few real estate business ventures, exploring a return to Georgia Tech -- he's five classes shy of his earning a bachelor's degree -- and expanding his community involvement. Besides, in some ways, the break was a blessing because Morrow enjoyed unexpected time with his family, which includes four children.

He and his girlfriend, Demiko Picott, have three boys: Amiri and Malachi, 11-month old twins, and 5-year old Kaeden. Morrow also has a 9-year old daughter, A'Niyah, who lives with her mother in Atlanta.

"It was a positive as well," he said. "I'm comfortable with where I'm at financially, family-wise, stability-wise as a man, versus when I was 25, wanting that next contract. I'm nine years in. The summer kind of opened my eyes up to what's ahead. I had a lot more time to spend with my boys, see my daughter."

But just when Morrow contemplated life without basketball, the phone rang. First, the Minnesota Timberwolves wanted him to participate in a group workout on September 6. Then, a few days later, the Blazers offered a training camp invite and a chance to compete with Archie Goodwin and Isaiah Briscoe for their 15th and final roster spot. Morrow, who said Portland is "underrated" and "one of my favorite cities to visit," pounced at the chance with the Blazers.

So last week, he landed at PDX with that suitcase. After just one week of pick-up games and four days of training camp, he's already impressed coaches and teammates with his leadership, positivity and -- of course -- his shooting ability. In the first practice of the season, Blazers coach Terry Stotts said, Morrow only missed one shot. Lillard said he doesn't even remember the one.

"It was crazy," Lillard said. "None of his shots even touched the rim. I knew he could shoot. But I didn't know it was like that."

In addition to his jumper, Morrow brings those nine years of NBA experience and two trips to the playoffs to Portland. There's a feeling around the practice facility that a little experience might just be what the NBA's second-youngest roster needs.

"I feel like we can use him and I feel like everybody in this building knows that we can use him on this team," Ed Davis said. "Not just on the court, but in the locker room. He meshed with us right away, just was a good guy right away. Me personally, I love to have vets on the team. Nothing personal to the rookies and the young guys, but it's just a little different when you have those vets. Just that wisdom they can give to the younger guys, help them out. That experience matters."

But will it matter enough to make the team?

Heading into his 10th season in the NBA, Morrow finds himself in a fight for a job. But he's been here before.

"This is just like when I came in the league with the Warriors," Morrow said. "I had one suitcase. A computer. That's it. I'm a little more comfortable now than I was back then, but it's the same type thing.

"When you go undrafted, you never really feel comfortable. I'm thankful for this opportunity. I didn't want to have pride and not come in here and compete and give it a shot, bring what I can bring to the table. It's going well so far. Great group of guys. Just a great organization. Always somewhere I was interested in playing, with their style of play, coaching staff. It's been everything that I thought it would be."

--Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com 503-294-5183 @BlazerFreeman