The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the great franchises in sports history, but that doesn't mean they're exempt from making a blunder or two. It isn't a secret that the Lakers have made some questionable free agent signings throughout the years, such as the infamous Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng signings during the 2016 offseason.
Another signing who disappointed Lakers fans was Montrezl Harrell, who signed a two-year, $19 million contract ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season. The former NBA Sixth Man of the Year was disappointing throughout the first year of his deal, resulting in his being traded to the Washington Wizards in the following offseason.
Harrell's departure from L.A. kickstarted his exit from the league, as he played for the Wizards and two more teams before spending last season overseas. The 31-year-old center signed a new contract with the National Basketball League's Adelaide 36ers at the end of May, essentially signaling the end of his NBA career.
Despite that, Harrell still isn't giving up on his dreams.
Former Lakers C Montrezl Harrell Can't Accept NBA Career is Over
Harrell recently spoke with Scoop B's Brandon Robinson ahead of the upcoming BIG 3 campaign, which the ex-Laker will be participating in. During the interview, the former Louisville Cardinal revealed that he's still holding out hope for another NBA contract.
"NBA is something that I would definitely love to go back," Harrell admitted; however, he acknowledged his injury history could hurt his chances. "At the end of the day, where I’m at in my life you gotta understand that I’ve had a great career and the way that the game looks at it when it comes to the NBA game, once you have an injury they start to write you off."
Despite boasting plenty of talent, Harrell struggled to find a way to stay on the floor throughout his NBA career. He only played 70-plus games three times while hitting the 82-game mark once. His last season saw him only suit up 57 times with the Philadelphia 76ers before missing the entire 2023-24 campaign with a torn ACL.
In other words, it isn't difficult to see why NBA teams aren't blowing up his phone. His injury history combined with his turning 32 years old next January, is likely a major red flag for most teams, making it likelier that he'll remain playing overseas until he eventually calls it a career.
Fortunately, Harrell seems to be doing well in the NBL. Suiting up 26 times for the 36ers last season, the frontcourt veteran averaged 20.7 points on .560/.320/.651 shooting splits while adding 9.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.
A lengthy NBA career isn't for anyone, so it's nice to see the former Lakers center thriving in Australia — even if he can't admit his time has passed him by.