5. Signing Montrezl Harrell
Part of the Lakers’ roster revamp after winning the title in 2020 was signing the reigning Sixth Man of the Year away from the in-town rival Clippers. Harrell turned down more money to join the defending champions. It marked the end for both JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard as the Lakers replaced them with Marc Gasol and the 6’7 big man.
Harrell saw his minutes decrease in LA, and he played a minimal role in the postseason. The 27-year-old was a DNP-CD for two of the six games, including both wins, and he played under eight minutes twice. Harrell should have been in his prime, but it was the start of his decline.
Rob Pelinka signed Montrezl Harrell to a two-year $19 million contract in 2020, but the Lakers traded him to Washington after just one year to get Russell Westbrook. That deal turned disastrous, and Harrell has played for three different teams over the last two seasons.
The signing was always questionable because the Lakers wanted a rebounder and rim protector next to Anthony Davis. Montrezl Harrell always struggled on the defensive end of the floor, and the two would have to share the frontcourt some, or the Sixth Man of the Year would be limited to 14 minutes per game. The fit did not work out, and Harrell’s value decreased significantly during his time in LA.