The 2023-2024 season will be full of recovery for Philadelphia 76ers center Montrezl Harrell.
On Wednesday, team officials confirmed that Harrell underwent surgery on his right knee weeks after suffering a setback during his offseason training. With no timeline in place, the Sixers expect Harrell to be out indefinitely and will offer updates on his status in the future when appropriate.
Heading into the offseason, Harrell’s future with the Sixers was in question. After he signed a two-year deal last summer, Harrell had an opportunity to pick up his player option for next season. However, the veteran center declined it and hit the free agency market once again.
The Sixers went center-heavy when free agency opened up this year. Not only did they add Mo Bamba from the Los Angeles Lakers, but they decided to bring over their former second-round pick Filip Petrusev. Harrell was a surprising addition, signing on with the Sixers for one more year.
Although Philadelphia’s front office had added a ton of depth behind Joel Embiid, the team still prioritized bringing Paul Reed back on the team after the former DePaul standout received a notable offer from the Utah Jazz.
The Sixers have plenty of depth at the five, but they’ve taken a hit already with Harrell’s setback. After the big man received an MRI in early August, he found out he had a torn ACL and medial meniscal tear. The chances of Harrell making it out on the court for next season are slim. However, it was previously reported that the Sixers don’t plan to part ways with Harrell prematurely as a result.
When the 2023-2024 NBA season begins, Harrell will continue to go through his recovery process while supporting the Sixers from the side.
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