The Los Angeles Lakers have signed center Montrezl Harrell.
Per multiple reports, the contract is a mid-level exception deal for two years, $19 million.
The Lakers recently lost center Dwight Howard in free agency to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Harrell, the 2019-20 NBA Sixth Man Award winner, played in 63 games (two starts) for the LA Clippers last season and averaged 18.6 points (.580 FG%), 7.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 blocks in 27.8 minutes per game. Harrell finished second in bench scoring behind Dennis Schröder and recorded a league-high 11 double-doubles off the bench.
Per the Los Angeles Times, “with Harrell, [Wesley] Matthews and the trade for point guard Dennis Schroder from Oklahoma City for Danny Green and the draft rights to Jaden McDaniels, the Lakers vastly improved their roster and put themselves in good position to defend their NBA championship.”
Harrell has played 318 career games (25 starts) for Houston and the Clippers, with averages of 12.7 points (.614 FG%), 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 20.9 minutes. He is the only player to tally more than 1,000 points and 400 rebounds as a reserve in each of the last two seasons and leads the NBA with 28 double-doubles off the bench during that span.
