Montrezl Harrell Opens Up on Easy Decision to Land With Sixers

It didn't take much convincing for Montrezl Harrell to join the Sixers.

NBA veteran Montrezl Harrell entered the NBA offseason dealing with legal trouble. After a traffic stop in Kentucky led to Harrell initially facing felony charges, the big man didn't garner too much interest in the free agency market after his contract with the Charlotte Hornets expired.

Several months after the traffic stop, Harrell's charges were knocked down to a misdemeanor. At that point, it became clear that Harrell's legal issues would not prevent him from finding another opportunity to pay in the NBA this upcoming season.

Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey admitted that he was comfortable with the current roster, which featured Paul Reed and Charles Bassey playing backup behind the MVP runner-up Joel Embiid. 

As the two young bigs showed flashes last season, the Sixers were confident that one or both could win a permanent spot as Embiid's backup. However, the idea of bringing in an experienced veteran and former Sixth Man of the Year winner in Harrell was too good for Philly to pass up.

"Trez had his best years under Doc," said Morey on 'The Takeoff with John Clark' podcast last week. "[He was the] Sixth Man of the Year, and he really flourished after that Chris Paul trade that brought him to the Clippers and working with Sam Cassell."

Harrell inked a two-year deal with the Sixers and became the latest member to join the team. On Monday, Harrell was introduced as a Sixer for the very first time. When asked about his decision to sign with the 76ers, Harrell explained why it was an easy decision.

"It was definitely an opportunity for me to be able to get back with a coaching staff that I'm kinda used to," said Harrell. "It's a coaching staff I've been under, and Doc was the one who actually gave me my opportunity to actually be able to come along as a player in this league. So, it really wasn't a hard decision to be able to come here."

Harrell spent three seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, playing for Doc Rivers. As a primary backup, Harrell thrived. In his final season with the Clippers, Harrell averaged a career-high of 18 points per game and seven rebounds per game.

While those numbers took a dip over the last two years as Harrell had stints with the Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards, and the Charlotte Hornets — the veteran big man has an opportunity to bounce back as he has tons of familiarity in Philadelphia with teammates, coaches, and the front office.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.