Montrezl Harrell Believes His Former Clippers Teammates’ Understand His Move to the Lakers

Nobody had expected Montrezl Harrell to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Clippers and Lakers have an unsaid rivalry that keeps brewing, so for one team’s player to join the other, was a shock for everyone. However, Harrell has his reasons for signing this deal and it only seems fair.

It was after a two-year stint with the Houston Rockets that Harrell joined the Clippers. In his first two seasons with the Clippers, he had become a key player for them, but when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George entered, they transformed the roster altogether.

The Clippers’ teammates’ chemistry issues were very visible last season. Despite being the title favorites, their disappointing run in the playoffs and getting eliminated at the hands of an underdog team like the Denver Nuggets came with a lot of scrutinies.

There were also reports of Paul George and Harrell getting into a heated argument after Game 2 against the Nuggets. Apparently, the two were playing the blame-game, and it did not end well. While everyone might think that these tiffs were the reason behind leaving, that is not the case. At least that’s what Harrell has now stated.

Clippers’ teammates know why Montrezl Harrell left

Harrell has joined the purple and gold with a two-year contract for $19 million. Despite having several suitors in free-agency, Harrell was recently asked why he specifically picked the Lakers.

Harrell said, “Honestly, it’s a business decision. I felt that it was the right decision for me. I talked to my family and, you know, it’s where we decided I wanted to go. Simple as that. … I’m definitely going to be with a team that wanted me.”

When his move to the Lakers’ was announced, Patrick Beverley expressed some anger on his Twitter handle. This was only natural because Harrell and Pat were extremely close. Thus, Harrell was also asked what he thought his teammates felt about his decision.

“They understand the business,” Harrell said. “I learned the business from those guys, man. Guys like Lou who have been traded multiple times in one season, a guy like Pat who I played the majority of my career with, who I ended up being in a trade with. They understand and they basically taught me that this is a business no matter [what]. If you’re not one of our top-tier players in the league which we all know who those players are, everybody is expendable.”

The Lakers have been extremely active this offseason, while the Clippers are oddly silent. This means that the Clippers will either make a big move or will look to make only minor changes to their roster.