NBA veteran big man Montrezl Harrell spent one season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020-21, but the 32-year-old hasn’t been on a league roster in a few years.
Now, the former Lakers center is attempting to make an NBA comeback, but he isn’t taking the traditional route.
Harrell was seen at tryouts for the Houston Rockets G-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, in his latest effort to get back onto a professional roster.
Former Lakers Center Attempting NBA Comeback
According to a social media post and accompanied picture by Rockets reporter Lachard Blinkey, Harrell is doing his best to get back in the NBA by making Houston’s G-League team for the upcoming season.
“This past weekend former Houston Rocket Montrezl Harrell took part in the RGV tryouts. Harrell started his career with the Vipers in the 2015-16 playing two seasons with the Rockets,” he wrote. “Of course Harrell was part of the blockbuster trade that brought Chris Paul to the Rockets. Harrell played on several team’s including overseas and also played in the BIG3.”
Harrell started his career with the Vipers in the 2015-16 playing two seasons with the Rockets. Of course Harrell was part of the blockbuster trade that brought Chris Paul to the Rockets.
Despite not playing in the NBA since the 2022-23 season, Harrell, a solid big man, has the chance to get back to the top professional ranks, and that starts with his attempt at joining the G-League roster.
In the time since his last NBA appearance, Harrell has played in several overseas leagues and saw success playing in the Big 3 this past year.
“In recent years, Harrell pursued overseas play, suiting up in Australia, China, and Puerto Rico. He recently capped off his dominant run for the BIG3 League as a member of the 3s Company,” Basketnews.com wrote of the former Lakers’ big man’s NBA comeback.
Harrell remains unsigned to a league roster and doesn’t have a lot of time to secure a spot.
Montrezl Harrell In The NBA
Though Harrell hasn’t been in the NBA over the past few years, he has a strong resume in the league.
He started with the Rockets, playing in Houston from 2015 to 2017, establishing a role for himself playing off the bench most of the time.
Harrell then joined the Los Angeles Clippers, where his career peaked. He played as the team’s backup center from 2017 to 2019 and got on the map by winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award in his final campaign with the franchise. He averaged 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on 58% shooting from the field in that award-winning season.
The center then joined the Lakers after the team was coming off its championship run. He played behind Anthony Davis and put up more solid averages of 13.5 points and 6.2 rebounds on 62.2% shooting in 69 games.
Harrell then played with the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets in the 2021-22 season. His final stint in the NBA came with the Philadelphia 76ers the following year, but he has yet to play in a game since.
The 32-year-old has career averages of 12.1 points, five rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 61.9% shooting in 513 total games. He is a traditional center who will likely have difficulty in joining a title-contending team like the Lakers, but could fit in a small role on a different team.
Regardless, by trying out for the Rockets’ G-League affiliate, it looks as though his best shot is to play in Houston next season.
Harrell has made more than $39 million in his NBA career, with his highest-earning season coming with the Lakers, as he earned $9.2 million in his lone campaign playing in the Purple and Gold.
Energetic Ex-Lakers Big Man Turns Heads With Latest Career Move