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(Reuters) – NBA champions Los Angeles Lakers have signed ‘Sixth Man of the Year’ Montrezl Harrell from the Clippers, the league said.
The change comes after a stellar season for Harrell, who averaged his 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 win the second seed in the Western Conference before the Denver Nuggets knocked them out in the conference semifinals.
“The Los Angeles Lakers signed center Montrezl Harrell, as announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka,” said a statement on the NBA website.
“Per team policy, the terms of the deal were not published.”
Harrell, who gives the Lakers a choice as both power forward and center, comes after eight-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard moved east from the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Lakers had previously acquired 27-year-old Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dennis Schroder, who was second in the Sixth Man award vote, 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 season’s championship team and on track to repeat,” Laker great Magic Johnson said on Twitter.
Report from Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Edited by Peter Rutherford
