The Los Angeles Clippers will not have a crucial player off of their bench for an undisclosed period of time. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Montrezl Harrell needed to leave the NBA’s bubble in Orlando on Friday. It is unclear exactly what spurred this decision, outside of Charania referring to this as “an emergency family matter.”
Clippers‘ Montrezl Harrell has departed from the Orlando bubble for an emergency family matter, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 17, 2020
While the No. 1 priority is that Harrell and members of his family are safe and healthy, Charania reports that the expectation is that the former University of Louisville standout will return to the team at some point, although it is unclear when Los Angeles can expect to get him back.
Montrezl Harrell plans to return to the NBA restart at a later date, sources said. He left Disney campus to tend to an urgent family situation. https://t.co/IYOx5ZIDZi
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 17, 2020
As for when he’ll be able play upon his return to the team, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times served up a reminder of the NBA’s protocol for players who leave the bubble, although it is unclear how things will shake out for Harrell.
Here's what the NBA protocols state about exit and re-entry during this phase of the bubble: https://t.co/oyVwrxPPJA pic.twitter.com/bd8pwum28k
— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) July 17, 2020
The news of Harrell’s departure comes one day after New Orleans Pelicans standout Zion Williamson had to leave the bubble. Williamson needed to leave due to an “undisclosed family medical matter,” and he expects to return to the bubble at some point.
Harrell joined the Clippers three years ago and has turned into an indispensable member of the team’s bench. While he is expected to command a pretty penny as an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Harrell has averaged 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds in 27.8 minutes per game this year while shooting 58 percent from the field.
