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One-time former Los Angeles Lakers reserve power forward Montrezl Harrell is pining for an NBA comeback, as he laid out in a new piece for The Players' Tribune.
Fresh off winning the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award for the L.A. Clippers, during the best season of his professional life in 2019-20, Harrell inked a two-year, $19 million contract with their crosstown rival that offseason. His tenure with Los Angeles was brief, however. By the playoffs, Harrell's defensive weaknesses put him on head coach Frank Vogel's bad side, and he saw his minutes cut to just 9.8 per bout. Los Angeles was ousted by the Phoenix Suns, en route to Chris Paul's first (and thus far only) Finals appearance, in six games.
Harrell's remaining year on his Lakers contract was flipped to the Washington Wizards as part of Rob Pelinka's ill-fated deal to acquire Russell Westbrook. He was traded again, midway through the year, to the Charlotte Hornets. Harrell agreed to a two-season deal with his former Clippers coach Doc Rivers' new squad, the Philadelphia 76ers, that subsequent offseason. He suited up for one healthy year with Philadelphia, then declined his player option to reach free agency.
Unfortunately, that's when the trouble started.
"Then, around this time last summer, I was in my normal off-season routine, hooping," Harrell explained. "One day, I went in to see the trainer because my knee had swelled up, and it turned out I tore my ACL and my meniscus. After me and my trainer looked at the imaging he had done, I sat there and cried. Then I started calling the people that I needed to call to inform them. At the time, I was in one of those contract gray areas with the Sixers … I thought it might be the end."
Harrell has understandably been teamless ever since.
"This past year opened my eyes," Harrell wrote. "I realized I’m not ready to hang this game up — and I have a lot of game left in me. Having a tough season, blowing out my knee … I can’t accept that ending, man. That can’t be what people remember me by. No way that’s gonna be how Trezz went out."
Harrell went on to make his case for why he deserves another NBA shot.
"Here’s how I’m going out: leaving it all on the floor. It’s where I’ve left it every night for eight years — and it’s the only way I know how to play. I’m ready to be that hustle dude again, that team-first dude, that bench mob Trezz," Harrell said. "That warrior. And there are a lot of things I still haven’t done in my career. I still got boxes to check off."
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A former Timberwolves reserve is breaking out as a starter in the East
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The 'World Series single-game K leaders' quiz
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Do NFL executives believe Patriots can topple Bills in AFC East?
While the Buffalo Bills have won the AFC East division title for the past five seasons, the 6-2 New England Patriots will enter Week 9 holding a slight lead over 5-2 Buffalo in the standings. Under first-year Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, second-year quarterback Drake Maye has emerged as a strong MVP candidate. In an article published on Friday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler talked with several NFL executives about whether they believe the Patriots are a "real" contender this fall. One executive "not quite ready to pass the torch" regarding Patriots-Bills fight "I think the quarterback is real," one unnamed AFC executive said while referencing Maye. "He keeps getting better. He has an excellent OC who will get every drop out of that offense. And Vrabes has them playing good team football. I'm not quite ready to pass the torch now." Such an opinion is understandable given that Bills quarterback Josh Allen is the reigning MVP and has made 13 career playoff starts. Of course, Maye has not yet played in a playoff game, but he did lead New England to a 23-20 upset victory in Buffalo on Oct. 5. According to Pro Football Reference stats, Maye ended October ranked fifth in the NFL among qualified players with a 76.0 adjusted QBR, second with a 118.7 passer rating and first with a 75.2 percent completion percentage for the season. Per StatMuse, he's tied for fourth in the league with 17 combined passing and rushing touchdowns, and he's third with 2,276 combined passing and rushing yards. What concerns one executive about Patriots' attempt to topple Bills? The Patriots are reportedly among the teams seeking a pass-rusher before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals and Kayvon Thibodeaux of the New York Giants are two players previously connected with New England who reportedly won't be traded this fall. "I think they are a year away from being really good," a different AFC executive added about the Patriots. "The defense isn't all the way there yet. But the offensive line is showing promise, and the quarterback is picking things up really fast. He's not close to his ceiling." If Maye gets closer to that ceiling in the next two months, the Patriots might secure the AFC's top overall seed for the playoffs.
Three wild quotes from Louisiana governor Jeff Landry that could wreck LSU head-coaching search
For three days, the LSU Tigers had the most appealing head-coaching opening in college football. That changed Wednesday, when first-term Louisiana governor Jeff Landry (R) opened his mouth. Below are three absurd statements from Landry that should make prospective candidates run in the other direction instead of considering becoming the next LSU head coach. 1. Who's in charge? What Landry said: "No, I can tell you right now [athletic director] Scott Woodward is not selecting our next coach. Maybe we'll let President Trump pick it." Reaction: What should terrify candidates the most is how unorganized the search for head coach is at the top, creating a trickle-down effect that could permeate throughout the program. With an embattled AD — who has since been fired — plus the university looking for its next president, LSU's next head coach has no way of knowing what administration he'll be answering to. That uncertainty is no way to attract elite candidates. 2. Pot, meet kettle What Landry said about hiring the next football coach at LSU: "We're gonna make sure that he's compensated properly, and we're gonna put metrics on it because I'm tired of rewarding failure in this country and then leaving the taxpayers to foot the bill." Reaction: One of three programs with three national titles this century (joining Alabama and Ohio State), LSU has higher expectations for its football team than at most FBS programs. Landry's comments raise questions about how much time the Tigers will give their next head coach to construct a winner. What kind of metrics will be in place? It's normal for coaches to earn raises with conference or national championships, but what happens if Kelly's successor doesn't have the same immediate success he did, leading the team to the SEC title game and coaching a Heisman winner (Jayden Daniels) in his first two seasons? "I'm tired of rewarding failure in this country" is also a rich statement from a man whose state was ranked 46th of 50 states in education and last for economy by U.S. News World Report. 3. Politicians should stay out of sports What Landry said: "All I care about is what the taxpayers are going to be on the hook [for]." Reaction: Is it too much to ask that our elected officials know how things work? Landry was asked why LSU officials met with him at the governor's mansion before Kelly's firing, and his reasoning was nonsensical. Coaching buyouts, including Kelly's, are often paid through boosters with money to burn, not taxpayers. WDSU-New Orleans reporter Travers Mackel wrote on Monday that one private donor will foot the majority of Kelly's buyout. "Zero public money set aside for education, salaries or scholarships will be used," Mackel wrote. Landry's meddling in Kelly's firing is more than just concern for Louisiana taxpayers. "In the absence of a permanent president [at LSU], the governor has grabbed authority over key decisions," Yahoo Sports reporter Ross Dellenger wrote earlier this week. (A search for a new university president is in the final stages, according to The Advocate.) Politicians have no reason to get involved with college coaching decisions. Where does their influence end? What if the best available candidate doesn't share Landry's leanings? It's ridiculous to even have to consider. Well, everywhere but at LSU.
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