NBA

Philadelphia’s Montrel Harrell has agreed to a one-year contract to stay with the 76ers in 2023-24

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Zach Wolpin
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Zach Wolpin Sports Editor

Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.

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Updated2 hours ago on April 27, 2024

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Montrezl Harrell 76ers pic

Less than a month ago, veteran big man Monterzl Harrell declined a $2.7 million player option with the 76ers. The 29-year-old was eager to test the open market. He would soon find out that Philly was his only legitimate option for next season. After negotiations, Harrell and the 76ers have agreed to a one-year deal to bring him back for 2023-24. It will be his second season with Philly. 

In the 2022-23 season, Montrezl Harrell played a small role for the 76ers under Doc Rivers. Luckily for Harrell, Rivers is no longer the head coach. That gives him a chance to impress new head coach Nick Nurse. The 2019-20 Sixth Man of the Year played just (11.9) minutes per game for the Sixers last season.

There’s certainly an opportunity for Harrell to see a bigger role with Nurse controlling the rotation. It was hard for him to see playing time last season behind league MVP, Joel Embiid. He’ll look for that to change in 2023-24.

After declining his player option, Montrezl Harrell is signing a one-year deal with the 76ers

Last season, Harrell only appeared in 57 games for the 76ers and made 7 starts. His (11.9) minutes and (5.4) points per game were the lowest of his career since his rookie season. It’s fair to say that Harrell was not utilized enough by the coaching staff.

Joel Embiid was playing at an MVP level and ended up winning the award for the first time in his career. Harrell’s playing time was limited because of this and that was out of his control. Despite averaging fewer minutes per game than Harrell last season, Paul Reed seemed to play a bigger role.

That’s where another problem roles in. The 76ers have four centers on their roster at the moment and fans are questioning the decision. Philadelphia fans on Twitter have been vocal about wanting to keep Paul Reed. Free agent center Mo Bamba also signed with the 76ers this offseason. Who knows how much playing time Harrell will see with Embiid, Reed, and Bamba on the roster?