Montrezl Harrell has one of the more unique skillsets among big men in the NBA today. What he lacks in defensive tenacity and general mental stability, he makes up for with sheer offensive prowess.
That said, he is one of the few recognizable name guys who remains without a clear home heading into the 2022-23 NBA season.
Given his past associations with the city of Los Angeles, many have taken to wondering whether a trip back out west may be in his future.
This week, an answer to that question emerged.
“Oh, he has pretty much burned his bridge in Los Angeles,” an NBA executive told insider Sean Deveney of Harrell. “I think a lot of his annoyance with that whole situation was aimed at Frank (Vogel), but he did not make any friends in the organization with the stuff he said after he left. Before he left, even.”
Statistically, Harrell was fine for large swaths of his time with the Lakers. Although his 13.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game on 62.2 percent shooting didn’t rise to the Sixth Man of the Year levels he played at with the Los Angeles Clippers, it was still passable.
What really wrecked Harrell’s time in L.A. was his general way of being. He had a bad attitude throughout – and that’s something of a pattern with him. It happened with the Washington Wizards. It happened with the Lakers. It happened with the Clippers.
It’s just who he is.
Mind you, Harrell was the only member of the Lakers who didn’t get an invite to Anthony Davis’ wedding. There’s a reason for that.
Harrell is incredibly talented, but he is something of a diva.
If he ends up with anyone ahead of next season, there is one clear frontrunner.
The photos speak for themselves:https://t.co/uSVDqRS4o2
— Game 7 (@game7__) July 31, 2022
But it also wouldn’t be too shocking to see him sidelined until his legal woes are resolved.
Who will Harrell play for next? It’s impossible to say for certain. All that’s clear is that it won’t be for either one of the L.A. teams.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.