Houston Rockets: Reunion with Montrezl Harrell needs to happen

The NBA is now very deep into the offseason but, there are still players that can have an impact. Montrezl Harrell can be that for the Houston Rockets.

The Houston Rockets have had a moderately busy offseason. However, I expect it’s been a lot busier behind closed doors. There have been a lot of rumors churning about what the team is trying to pull off this offseason.

Carmelo Anthony has long been linked to the Houston Rockets. Now that a trade to Atlanta has been completed, he’s expected to be bought out then make his way to Houston. To open up that path, the Rockets are anxiously working to trade away Ryan Anderson’s albatross of a contract.

The contract battle between Clint Capela and the Rockets has been well documented. The two sides are battling over a few million a year now. One side has to budge eventually. I’m afraid it will be Capela to accept the qualifying offer in order to hit the open market next season. If that happens, it’ll be a lot harder for the Rockets to retain him.

Must Read: Three biggest mistakes of the offseason

However, beyond adding Melo and retaining Capela, there are still moves this team can and should make. The one that the team seriously needs to consider is bringing back Montrezl Harrell. The team originally used Harrell to net Chris Paul last summer.

More from House of Houston

Capela will be back one way or another this season. Harrell is an ideal backup for the Swiss big man. He will never be a world beater in this league but, his hustle and energy will carry him through a long career. The next step in that career should be in Houston.

In his last season in Houston, Harrell really morphed himself into a very playable role player. He averaged nine points and four rebounds a game across 18+ minutes. His hustle and energy allowed him to play great defense in the post as well.

Harrell took another step forward in his development last year with the Clippers. He played fewer minutes but, his numbers popped. He averaged 23.3 points, 9 rebounds, and over a block and steal per 36 minutes. Once again, his defense was outstanding down in the post.

The Rockets could use that type of production down in the post when Capela needs a blow. Nene is good in short bursts but, Harrell could play extended minutes off of the bench without the offense or defense suffering. This would’ve been beneficial this past season in the postseason.

Harrell can cover multiple positions on defense as well. This will be important, especially if the Rockets add Melo. Offensively, he could pick and roll, continue to work on his three-point shot, and catch lobs from Harden and Paul.

Next: Top 30 Rockets players of all time

I can’t speak enough about Harrell’s energy and hustle. His grit-and-grind style of play would be a huge boon off of the bench for this team. They could do a lot worse than Trez, I’m not sure they could do a lot better in terms of a backup center.

Home/Houston Rockets