One of the most surprising moves of the truncated 2020 NBA offseason was the Los Angeles Lakers signing big man Montrezl Harrell away from the Los Angeles Clippers.
It appears that the Clippers wanted to execute a sign-and-trade involving the free agent, but instead the Lakers came in and signed him outright.
“(The Clippers) had let it be known (with other teams) that they did not want to sign (Harrell) to a $70 million or $80 million deal, and they were more than happy to do a sign-and-trade if someone was interested (in free agency),” said an anonymous NBA scout. “They had put that out. That was out there. And the Lakers swooped in and said, ‘You know what? We’ll save you the trouble.’ For him to take that (two-year, $18.9 million; player option in the second season) contract, to me, you talk about not only your gain but taking him away from your biggest competitor. I mean, that was huge, in my opinion.”
Harrell was a key part of the Clippers’ championship hopes last season. Beyond his scoring and rebounding off the bench, he provided the team with a ferocity that made it the darling of the media.
There are questions about his fit on the Lakers, especially defensively, but his ability to run the floor and finish strong in the paint will help assimilate him into the team’s fast-breaking style on offense.
As far as the Lakers are concerned, they also weakened one of their main competitors in the Western Conference by acquiring Harrell.
Overall, the Purple and Gold were aggressive this offseason. Before signing Harrell, they also traded aging 3-and-D wing Danny Green for point guard Dennis Schroder.
Schroder will provide ball-handling and scoring for the Lakers, which will reduce the workload of a 35-year-old LeBron James.
