Montrezl Harrell has been productive on both teams he has played on, yet he remains unsigned during NBA Free Agency. Could Harrell potentially help the OKC Thunder?
Montrezl Harrell was essentially a throw-in piece last season when the Houston Rockets traded for Chris Paul. Houston shipped Harrell to Los Angeles and while they did not miss him, LA certainly benefited from Harrell’s presence.
Harrell was having a decent season before the Clippers dealt Blake Griffin to the Pistons. However, after the deal, Harrell’s production and minutes increased. The fact Harrell remains unsigned is perplexing and sheds light on how poor the 2018 NBA free agency market is.
Statline:
| Season | Age | Tm | G | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 22 | HOU | 39 | 9.7 | 1.5 | 2.3 | .644 | 1.5 | 2.3 | .652 | .644 | 1.2 | .522 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 2016-17 | 23 | HOU | 58 | 18.3 | 3.9 | 5.9 | .652 | 3.9 | 5.8 | .663 | .654 | 2.1 | .628 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 9.1 |
| 2017-18 | 24 | LAC | 76 | 17.0 | 4.6 | 7.2 | .635 | 4.6 | 7.1 | .641 | .636 | 2.9 | .626 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 11.0 |
| Career | 173 | 15.8 | 3.6 | 5.7 | .642 | 3.6 | 5.6 | .650 | .643 | 2.2 | .614 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 8.7 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/9/2018.
Harrell’s minutes went from 15.4 to 19.1 per game after the Griffin trade. Along with increased minutes Harrell’s points, rebounds, field goal percentage, and assists saw a rise as well.
It’s not uncommon to see players take on larger roles when a superstar departs, but Harrell handled the added workload exceptionally well.
Player Specifics
- Height: 6′8″
- Position: PF/C
- Age: 24-164 days
- Years of experience in NBA: 3
- Type of Free Agent: Restricted
- Hometown: Tarboro, North Carolina
- Salary the previous season: $1.4 million
The fact Harrell is 24 years old should have sent his stock skyrocketing. Instead, its July 11th and he has yet to sign anywhere. Perhaps Harrell being a restricted free agent is factoring into his lack of offers. And, if Harrell gets a low offer the Clippers will surely match it, or teams could be hesitant to tie up what little cap space remains.
Wherever Harrell ultimately ends up, his team will be gaining or (if the Clippers) retaining a solid, gritty, high energy player.