Free agent center Montrezl Harrell is signing a two-year, $5.2 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources told ESPN on Tuesday, bringing toughness to a team in search of it this offseason.
Harrell was the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year for the 2019-20 season while playing for the LA Clippers under head coach Doc Rivers and assistant Sam Cassell, who are now with the 76ers.
The Sixers finalized the agreement, which includes a player option for the 2023-24 season, with Harrell's agent, Derrick Powell, on Tuesday, sources said.
Harrell joins a Sixers team that ranked 28th in bench scoring a year ago, trailed only by Chicago and Toronto, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
The Sixers' ability to sign Harrell became less complicated when he had a felony charge of marijuana trafficking reduced to a misdemeanor possession charge in a Madison County (Kentucky) courthouse last week. Harrell pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge, which will be expunged from his record after 12 months if he gets in no further legal trouble.
Sixers star James Harden played a significant role in recruiting Harrell to the Sixers, selling him on a reunion of their time together with the Houston Rockets, sources told ESPN. Harden's willingness to negotiate a new deal with the Sixers helped create the salary-cap space to sign three former Rockets teammates, including Harrell, P.J. Tucker and Danuel House.
Harrell, 28, averaged 11.4 points and 4.9 rebounds for the Charlotte Hornets a season ago. He's played for Houston, the Clippers, Lakers, Washington and Charlotte in seven NBA season since leaving Louisville.
Over the past five seasons, Harrell has been one of only two players to score at least 5,000 points off the bench, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson is the other.
