Sixers’ Montrezl Harrell Suffers Offseason Setback

Just weeks after the Philadelphia 76ers re-signed the veteran big man Montrezl Harrell, the team announced he recently suffered a setback.

On Wednesday, team officials confirmed that Harrell underwent an MRI to assess right knee swelling that he noticed during offseason workouts. The MRI revealed a torn ACL and medial meniscal tear. As of now, the team hasn’t put a timeline on his recovery.

This upcoming season, Harrell was set to partake in his second run with the Sixers. His return to the team case was a bit of a shock, considering he fell out of the rotation down the stretch of the regular season and appeared in just two games during the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

Last summer, the Sixers inked Harrell to a two-year deal, with the second season being a player option. Although Harrell initially earned the backup center spot behind Joel Embiid, the Sixers eventually leaned on Paul Reed to take over as the second-string center down the stretch.

Harrell appeared in 57 games last season, picking up seven starts. He averaged six points and three rebounds while converting 60 percent of his field goals. Although Harrell had a second-year option with the Sixers for the 2023-2024 run, he declined it ahead of the deadline.

Nearly a week into free agency, Harrell made a surprising return to the Sixers. Although the team also signed the veteran big man Mo Bamba and zeroed in on retaining Paul Reed, Harrell inked a deal to return to the Sixers. His contract is for one season and is worth $2.8 million.

Unfortunately, Harrell could be in danger of missing significant time next season. While the team doesn’t have a timeline for his return in place, it could be a while before Harrell is on the court once again.