(Reuters) – NBA champions Los Angeles Lakers have signed ‘Sixth Man of the Year’ Montrezl Harrell from the Clippers, the league said.
The switch comes after a stellar season from Harrell, who averaged career-highs of 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
The 26-year-old led the league with 11 double-doubles off the bench as he helped the Clippers earn the second seed in the Western Conference before they were knocked out by the Denver Nuggets in the conference semi-finals.
“The Los Angeles Lakers have signed center Montrezl Harrell, it was announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka,” a statement on the NBA’s website said.
“Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.”
Harrell, who provides the Lakers with an option at both power forward and center, arrives after eight-times NBA All Star Dwight Howard moved east to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Lakers had earlier acquired Oklahoma City Thunder’s 27-year-old guard Dennis Schroder, who was second in the Sixth Man award voting, as well as Milwaukee Bucks guard Wes Matthews Jr.
“With the additions of Montrezl Harrell, Dennis Schroder and Wes Matthews Jr, the Lakers will be younger and more talented than last seasons’s championship team and on their way to a repeat,” Laker great Magic Johnson said on Twitter.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
