Montrezl Harrell, Los Angeles Lakers
The most shocking move of the NBA offseason turned out to be the biggest steal for the Lakers as well. Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office were able to convince Montrezl Harrell to walk across the Staples Center from the Clippers lock room and sign a two-year, $16M deal with the Lakers. The contract contains a player option for the 2021-22 season (second-year of the contract), but still, is a steal given Harrell’s play and accolades over the years.
Last season, Montrezl Harrell averaged 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and shot 58.0% from the floor. He won the 2019-20 Sixth Man of the Year award and should continue to be an impact player in Los Angeles off the bench for the purple and gold.
Not only did the Lakers sign Harrell for much less than his anticipated value, but they improved their roster drastically after just winning the NBA Championship. They upgraded from Dwight Howard to Montrezl Harrell and from Rajon Rondo to Dennis Schroder. This team has scoring and talent up and down their roster now and all of the weight does not just fall on LeBron James or Anthony Davis.
Not to mention, they also signed Marc Gasol to be the starting center next to Anthony Davis. With Montrezl Harrell coming off the bench for the Warriors, he not only provides reliable scoring, but a great defensive presence as well, something the Lakers pride themselves on in the frontcourt.
It was very shocking to see that Harrell was ditching the Clippers for the Lakers, as both teams are heated rivals and share the same arena, but at the end of the day, it is just business and this was a business decision made by Montrezl Harrell to help him the most in his career. No matter what he says it was, Harrell wants to win a championship and by taking less money to join the defending champions, it is very clear to see this is Harrell’s intention.
Regardless if he is there for a year or for multiple years, Montrezl Harrell joining the Lakers was the biggest steal of NBA free agency and will have a big impact on the Lakers’ success this upcoming season.
