Nick Crain

11/5/22

  During the offseason, Montrezl Harrell signed a new two-year, $5.22 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.Over the past several seasons, Montrezl has had a little bit of inconsistency but still remains one of the more productive reserves in the league.As of this season, the Athledex platform projects Harrell’s Real-Time Contract Value to be $20.36 million, although his team contract is almost $20 million less at $2.46 million this season. Why is this Harrell a good signing for Philadelphia? Because he’s proven himself to be a legitimate impact player off the bench and comes equipped with valuable playoff experience.    

Elite Rebounding

Although his role has been limited early in the season, on a new roster that’s still figuring things out, Harrell has been a key asset on the glass. In the two seasons before coming to Philadelphia, Harrell produced an average of 6.3 boards in just 23 minutes per game. Any time a team can add a quality rebounder off the bench it raises the ceiling potential for their season – and when we consider the contract Harrell is on, his production should drastically exceed what he’s being paid.

Durability

The Sixers are heavily reliant on Joel Embiid, but he’s a fairly injury prone player. As such, having a player like Harrell is of extreme importance. He’s a bit undersized for a center, but Harrell has proven to be very productive at the position in recent years. If Embiid goes down at some point this season, he could slot in as a starter if needed, and Harrell is extremely durable – having rarely missed games due to injury.

Spark Plug Scoring

Harrell admittedly lacks a 3-point shot, but he is still a legit scoring threat off the bench.. In the paint, he’s extremely effective and can put up a flurry of points in a hurry. Again, he’s had a slow start to the 2022-23 season, but Harrell averaged 15.4 points in the three years prior to joining the 76ers. He also converted on 61.2% of his shots over that span.

Future Upside

Harrell being on the cheap of a deal for two seasons makes this contract even more team-friendly for the Sixers. He does have leverage with a player option in year two, but could certainly opt in if he thinks he can win a championship in Philadelphia before earning a new deal. At 28 years old, Harrell should still have quite a few good years left in his career. And given his game doesn’t rely on athleticism alone, he should provide a value asset through his mid thirties. 2022-23 Salary: $2.46 million | Real-Time Contract Value: $20.36 million