Montrezl Harrell showed out in his debut with Adelaide 36ers
By Will Eudy
The LA Clippers have seen plenty of talent come through their doors in the last half-decade alone. Having Kawhi Leonard as your best player means some of the premier role players in the NBA will want to come play alongside you, largely because they know it gives them a shot at winning a championship.
One of those high-level role players that has donned the Clippers uniform in recent years is Montrezl Harrell. Playing with the team from 2017 until 2020, Harrell was one of LA's most valuable supporting pieces leading up to the "213" era, as well as in year one of the Paul George-Kawhi Leonard pairing in Los Angeles.
Montrezl last played in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2022-23 season, and was set to return to the Eastern Conference contender for the following season until an ACL injury caused the team to waive him. He has now taken his talent overseas to play with the Adelaide 36ers in Australia.
Harrell put up 13 and 13 in his first game with 36ers
Harrell recently played his first game with his new team in Adelaide, and he put up an impressive stat line in his first game overseas. Trez finished with 13 points while making four of his eight shot attempts, as well as grabbed 13 rebounds. He held the highest plus-minus differential on his team with a +23.
The 36ers ultimately lost their opener, but it was a solid showing for Harrell in his first game in Australia. NBL fans are certainly excited to have him in their league, and he will likely be a big factor for Adelaide during the 2024-25 season.
If Montrezl can put together a strong campaign in Australia this season with the 36ers, it is possible he could earn his way back to the NBA at one point or another. He is 30 years old and still getting back to form after a major injury, but there is still plenty of use for a player of his archetype.
A strong interior presence, Harrell plays a physical style and rebounds at a high level. His skills would help plenty of teams in the association, and his first game in Adelaide could mark the beginning of his journey to ultimately get back in the NBA, either later this season, next season or beyond.