The Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Clippers have seen a lot of crossover in the 2020s. They have been trade partners on numerous occasions and have watched their free agents leave for the other team. In addition, the Sixers scooped up the ex-Clippers head coach Doc Rivers after he parted ways with LA in 2020.
While one player remains (Johni Broome), the Sixers just found out that they avoided some notable drama from a few years back. As the veteran center Montrezl Harrell recently dove into a handful of topics, the former Sixth Man of the Year revealed that he is still not on solid terms with the recently traded wing, Paul George.
What's the beef?
During the NBA's infamous bubble run, Harrell and George were teamed up on the Clippers. They had a heated sideline interaction, and Harrell spilled the details in a Players' Tribune piece. While he was admittedly in a bad place and said he went too far, Harrell felt like that interaction ruined his future with the franchise. That led him to Washington and Charlotte before Philadelphia.
Years later, Harrell made it clear that he still doesn't see eye-to-eye with George. Clearly, the 76ers dodged a potentially bad situation with their Harrell and PG timelines.
"I don’t make comments about that boy. Me and that boy don’t see eye-to-eye, and we ain’t on no terms, so I don’t make comments about him," Harrell told Brandon Robinson.
"Quite frankly, I don’t care. I stated that in the tribute interview I did as well, regarding how me and him got into it in that bubble situation. I feel like that had a strong trajectory on why the Clippers didn’t sign me back the following year, so I don’t make comments on him."
The timelines didn't cross for the better
The Sixers signed Harrell in 2022. He played in 57 games for the franchise, averaging 11.9 minutes per game. Harrell posted averages of 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds. He shot 59.8% from the field.
Initially, the 76ers watched Harrell decline his team option. They re-signed him on a one-year deal for the 2023-2024 NBA season. Unfortunately, Harrell didn't make it to training camp. He suffered an ACL injury, which put a large chunk of his season in jeopardy. The Sixers waived Harrell before opening night.
Less than one year later, the 76ers added Paul George after the veteran's time with the Clippers ran its course. He became the second All-Star crossover between the two franchises in the 2020s, as he joined the 76ers after spending a year with James Harden, who was sent to LA from Philly via trade.
While George's run was far from ideal, there wasn't too much drama involved. Clearly, having Harrell in the mix would've been an awkward scenario for the team. That would've been another must-read chapter in the strange crossover story between the 76ers and the Clippers.
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