Portland Trail Blazers: 3 realistic targets in free agency

Montrezl Harrell

The coronavirus pandemic really could not have come at a worse time for Montrezl Harrell, who was enjoying a career year before the season was put on hold in mid-March. The 26-year-old big man was a consistent source of production on a Los Angeles Clippers team that was forced to overcome a slew of injuries.

In 63 appearances (two starts), Harrell was logging 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while shooting 58 percent from the floor in 27.8 minutes per contest. It’s not at all an exaggeration to say he was a huge reason why the Clippers were holding down the No. 2 seed in the West.

As beloved as he is by owner Steve Ballmer and Clippers Nation — and as much as the team would love to retain him — it’s not going be nearly as simple as that. We’d even go as far as to say that it might behoove fans in Los Angeles to start preparing for Harrell’s exit. The hit that the NBA will endure from COVID-19 will likely drive down his overall value on the open market, and that will only open up more potential suitors for him in free agency.

Enter the Trail Blazers, whose culture would undergo a transformation by signing the Sixth Man of the Year candidate. Harrell’s motor would prove invaluable to a Portland team that is alarmingly thin in the frontcourt. Throw in the potential departure of Whiteside, and Terry Stotts will be left with Nurkic and Collins — two injury-prone bigs — as his starters at center and power forward.

If the Blazers manage to swap Harrell for Collins in the lineup, their starting five would be one of the best in the league. The former No. 32 overall pick’s defense speaks for itself and we really don’t need to regurgitate Portland’s struggles on that side of the floor in 2019.

At 6’7″, he’s undersized for his position but is able to hold his own from a physicality standpoint. If Portland loved Whiteside, just wait until they get a hold of Harrell, whose effort and work ethic are unwavering.

The Trail Blazers should stop at nothing to persuade the former Louisville star to call the Moda Center is home for the foreseeable future.