The Los Angeles Lakers made a big splash this free agency with the signing of Montrezl Harrell.
You love to see it. Montrezl Harrell is now officially a member of your #LakeShow! 💪 pic.twitter.com/ypMMlDmVob
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) November 23, 2020
Not only did they add last season’s Sixth Man of the Year Award winner, they also subtracted from their rival.
Harrell was a core member of the Los Angeles Clippers for the past three seasons.
The 26-year-old forward/center was a part of the Clippers trade of Chris Paul, in which Harrell and Patrick Beverley were traded to L.A.
Since joining the Clippers, Harrell has found a role that he’s thrived in.
Over the past three seasons, he has only started 10 total games of the 221 he’s played in.
Though he has been firmly situated on the bench, it hasn’t kept him from becoming one of the best bench contributors in the league.
In his first year with the Clippers, he averaged 11 PPG in just 17 minutes.
He took yet another step forward in 2018-19, where he upped his scoring average to 16.6 PPG.
This culminated in a career year during the 2019-20 season where he averaged 18.6 PPG on his way to being named Sixth Man of the Year.
However, despite this success, the Clippers seemed uninterested in bringing Harrell back.
Now, after signing with the Lakers, Harrell is throwing shade towards the Clippers organization.
Voicing Displeasure with the Clippers
Harrell has become known as someone who shares his mind and opinions on social media.
However, he sent out a tweet on Sunday night that was a little cryptic and unclear.
Don’t add me in your mess because when shit spill I don’t want be grabbing no napkins, when I was telling you watch the glass in first place 💆🏿♂️💆🏿♂️
— Montrezl Harrell (@MONSTATREZZ) November 30, 2020
While this tweet may mean anything, it could be hinting at personal anger towards his treatment from the Clippers.
It may be an analogous reference to his time with the team during their last playoff run, where they were knocked out after blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Denver Nuggets.
The Clippers fundamentally fell apart during this time, and Harrell seems to be suggesting that there was trouble from the beginning.
He apparently seems to have seen this coming and doesn’t expect to be part of the cleanup.
This is just one way to interpret the message, but any understanding of the tweet shows his unhappiness with the Clippers.
Obviously, him signing with a team that shares the same arena as the Clippers sends enough of a message.
On top of that, the Clippers didn’t even seem interested in bringing Harrell back.
When being asked whether the Clippers wanted him back, he was straightforward with his answer.
“I mean, that goes without saying,” Harrell said. “Apparently not if I’m on the other side. So it is what it is.”
It has been reported that the franchise didn’t want to resign him because he caused issues in the locker room.
He also struggled in the NBA’s bubble, which may have pushed the Clippers away.
Harrell’s Outlook with Lakers
While he may hold animosity towards the Clippers, Harrell should be very happy with the Lakers.
He slides right into the sixth man role where he will contribute greatly.
There's a reason he's called @MONSTATREZZ🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/L1GUHIrclS
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 30, 2020
He is also joining the defending NBA champions who appear poised to repeat.
This is in stark contrast to a consistently underperforming Clippers team.
By joining LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Harrell has upgraded his chances to win a title.
Already one of the league’s best bench players, Harrell will now have an even bigger chip on his shoulders because of his former team.
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