2. Montrezl Harrell
Technically speaking, Montrezl Harrell will already not finish the season with the 76ers as he will not even be there to kick things off due to an unfortunate season-ending injury during the summer. Still, he remains on the roster for reasons openly made known.
Harrell’s deal if fully guaranteed, so waiving him outright will not benefit the team except to open up a roster spot. At this juncture, he has no value, but Philly’s brass is more than aware of the perks of keeping him on the payroll.
With the James Harden back-and-forth badly needing a resolution in the form of a trade, Harrell’s contract will be useful in terms of salary-matching. It doesn’t even have to be a component in any Harden transaction, as his minimum deal should work well as a financial equalizer for even more minuscule deals.
Anyway, without offense to the veteran, the 76ers shouldn’t have re-signed him anyway, though his untimely injuries already ensure that the former Sixth Man of the Year’s tenure in Philadelphia will end sooner than later.