Former Clippers Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell is taking another shot at getting back into the NBA pipeline.
Harrell is reportedly set to attend open tryouts for the Houston Rockets’ G League affiliate, the RGV Vipers, on September 12. The Vipers are a familiar stop for him. He played there in 2015-16, his rookie season after Houston selected him 32nd overall in the second round.
Harrell’s NBA run with the Clippers was memorable. He won Sixth Man of the Year in 2019-20 at age 26, joining a short list of LA bench stars that also includes Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams. When his contract expired, the Clippers let him move on, and he’s spent the years since building a different basketball life.
That path has taken him overseas to places like China and Australia, and into a prominent role in the “BIG3” league. The numbers there make a strong case that he still has plenty left.
Harrell is averaging 26.8 points on 51.2% shooting, along with 10.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. He leads the “BIG3” in points, rebounds and blocks per game, doing it in a league that features former NBA names such as Dwight Howard, Michael Beasley, Lance Stephenson and James Johnson.
From what’s been seen in the “BIG3” and overseas, Harrell has kept a lot of his old edge. He still works the paint, cleans the glass and has even added a three-point shot to his game. At 32 and in excellent shape, the case for giving him another NBA look is easy to make.
There’s also the leadership factor. Harrell is known as a presence in the locker room, and that kind of voice can matter when a team runs into rough stretches.
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