The NBA is where amazing happens and thatās not just a motto. Year after year, players and teams make surprising moves that no one, not even the most connected insider ever saw coming.
This offseason, that move was Montrezl Harrell leaving the Los Angeles Clippers to join the Los Angeles Lakers. In fact, it wasnāt shocking to see Harrell leave his current team, but joining their city rivals on a discount seemed like a bit of a statement.
Everyone around the league feels like Harrell couldāve gotten more money and/or more years elsewhere, so the fact that he specifically decided to join the Clippersā biggest threat in the Western Conference was kind of shocking.
Montrezl Harrell Says The Lakers āPlay Basketballā
Moreover, Harrell hasnāt hesitated to throw some shadeatthe former franchise, teammates, locker room, and coaching from every now and then. This time, he added that itās nice to play for a team that āplays basketballā:
āItās really just being able to just play my game and just not being kind of told, āYou always got to be this, this or this. Itās kind of been the system Iāve kind of been playing in for a while. Itās got to be threes, layups, or letās get free throws,ā Harrell told The Orange County Register.
āBut thatās not like that over here. They play to the style of everybodyās game and weāre not looking at anybody that, āYou have to do this, you got to do that,ā man. We play basketball over here. Itās a free-flowing game,ā he added.
The Clippers have been heavily criticized lately for the way they handled the egos, the practice schedule, and the lack of adjustments they made throughout the season. So perhaps, this is more of a shot at Doc Rivers than to the organization per sƩ.
Harrell Says That He Signed With The Lakers Because Of His Family
And, when asked about why he decided to sign a 2-year, $19 million deal with the Lakers rather than pursue a more lucrative contract elsewhere, he simply said that he made the right decision for his family:
āI have a family I have to provide for, so my decision was my decision. I talked with my family and people in my tight circle, and this is what we felt was best for me,ā the reigning Sixth Man of the Year concluded.
At the end of the day, weāll never know for a fact what happened between the Clippers, Klutch Sports, and Montrezl Harrell. What we can be sure about is that the Lakers are thrilled about getting such a productive player at that price rate.





