Montrezl Harrell returning to the Sixers on a one-year deal

Montrezl Harrell has agreed to a one-year contract to return to the 76ers, a league source confirmed Thursday night.

Harrell recently declined the $2.7 million player option in his original two-year deal signed with the Sixers last fall. The Sixers on Wednesday also agreed to a one-year, minimum-salary deal with Mo Bamba, presumably to be Joel Embiid’s backup at center. Paul Reed, who played behind Embiid during the second half of last season, is a restricted free agent.

» READ MORE: Mo Bamba agrees to a one-year deal with the Sixers

Harrell spent last season with the Sixers, initially as the backup center before eventually falling out of the rotation. He averaged 5.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 11.9 minutes in 57 games, which were his lowest numbers since his rookie season in 2015-16.

Since winning the 2019-20 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award with the Los Angeles Clippers, Harrell has been a journeyman. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020-21, before splitting the 2021-22 season between the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets. He was a late addition to the Sixers’ 2022 free-agency class, after a felony marijuana trafficking charge was reduced to a possession misdemeanor.

Though Harrell had instant pick-and-roll familiarity with James Harden, with whom he played in Houston, defensive blunders eventually paved the way for Reed to seize the backup center job behind Embiid. Harrell played in only eight games after Feb. 8, and logged seven total minutes in two playoff appearances.