76ers News: Will Montrezl Harrell Stick Around After Injury?

The Philadelphia 76ers are dealing with a notable injury already this offseason. With training camp roughly two months away, the Sixers are already down a center.

Earlier this week, Sixers center Montrezl Harrell began experiencing swelling and soreness in his knee. After undergoing an MRI to get his knee checked, it turned out that Harrell had a torn ACL.

The Sixers weren’t able to put a timeline on Harrell’s injury right away and don’t plan to do so until later on in the recovery process. However, it’s apparent that Harrell could miss the entire 2023-2024 season.

Recently, Harrell re-signed with the Sixers after initially declining his player option for the 2023-2024 run. When Harrell inked a two-year deal with the 76ers last summer, he was offered an option to return to free agency this summer. Harrell initially took the pass to free agency to discuss a change of scenery. Eventually, he was back with the Sixers for a second run.

Harrell’s return to Philadelphia came as a shock to the public. Although he was Joel Embiid’s primary backup to start the 2022-2023 season, Harrell fell out of favor with former 76ers head coach Doc Rivers. By the time playoffs rolled around, Paul Reed got the nod to play beyond Embiid as Harrell fell out of the rotation.

The Sixers retained Reed via free agency, signed Mo Bamba after his run in LA, and brought the Euro stash Filip Petrusev into the picture this offseason. Harrell’s return gave the Sixers some experienced depth. Unfortunately, he still might’ve played his final game in a Sixers uniform despite signing on for another year.

One might assume that Harrell won’t be with the team after suffering his injury ahead of training camp, but The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey reports that there are no plans to part ways with Harrell prematurely at this time.

“The Sixers intend to keep the reserve center on the roster even though an MRI on Wednesday revealed a torn ACL and a medial meniscus tear in his right knee,” Pompey wrote on Thursday. “Keeping Harrell on the roster makes sense for the Sixers because they can use his salary as a trade asset.”

The Sixers’ front office has yet to make a swap with another team, but they are expected to make a move at some point in the near future since the James Harden situation has yet to be resolved. 

As the ten-time All-Star guard made it clear he wants out, the Sixers might not have a choice but to move The Beard. Perhaps, Harrell parts ways in the Harden blockbuster. If not, he could be a salary filler in a separate move as well. Either way, Harrell won’t be cut loose after suffering an unfortunate setback.