Montrezl Harrell, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, might be on the move this offseason.
Very rarely would the reigning Sixth Man of the Year fresh off an appearance in the Western Conference semifinals consider leaving one of the biggest contenders in the 2020-21 season, but that’s exactly the situation that could present itself if Los Angeles Clippers big man Montrezl Harrell, who averaged 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last year, bolts during this offseason.
Harrell might not be the best defender, but few rim-running big men in the league have his athletic ability and scoring touch. These five teams need to consider making a run at Harrell.
These five teams should be all-in on signing Montrezl Harrell
5
Charlotte Hornets
Southeast
The Hornets have been stuck in basketball purgatory for the last few years, as they are never bad enough to bottom out and get the No. 1 overall pick but never good enough to make the playoffs in the weak East. Michael Jordan and Mitch Kupchak seemed determined to fix that by going for it this offseason, going so far as to throw their name in the Russell Westbrook sweepstakes. That ambition shows that Charlotte is looking to make some noise this offseason, and adding Harrell, with or without trading for Westbrook, could be enough to a difference-maker to help them challenge for the No. 8 seed.
PJ Washington looks like he’ll be a solid pro for a decade, and Jalen McDaniels is worth developing, but any team that is trotting out Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo at center and expecting to win is kidding themselves.
This wouldn’t necessarily be a case of Harrell taking the money and running, as the presence of young studs like Washington and Devonte’ Graham in addition to the pursuit of Westbrook could entice Harrell to link up with his hometown team. A Tarboro, North Carolina native, Harrell attacking the rim and proving himself as one of the best rebounders in the league, all the while helping his local team reach the playoffs once again, would make for quite the story.