Summary

Harrell had a breakout season in '18-'19, finishing third in voting for Sixth Man of the Year, and continued that strong play into this past season for the championship-contending Clippers, even winning that award. Harrell and Lou Williams have developed a great pick and roll chemistry, leading to Harrell being one of the premier roll threats in the league. However, Harrell does have some limitations on offense, as he has not developed much of a jump shot, and could benefit from improved playmaking out of the short roll.

 

The bigger worry is on defense, and that weakness became exposed as the Clippers were upset by the Nuggets in the second round. On defense, Harrell does not have the impact that many assume based on his reputation as an energy big. He is not a strong rim protector, due to both his size and his positional awareness. On the perimeter, Harrell can also struggle after switching onto guards or having to stop them in the pick and roll. The Clippers really struggled on defense when Harrell was on the court in the playoffs.

 

While his market was certainly hurt by his postseason performance, it will be interesting to see how much it hurts his value. His offensive impact should still be able to get him a big raise this offseason, but he likely left several million on the table with his play during the playoffs. Harrell and his agent, Rich Paul, do have some leverage over the Clippers, as the Clippers will not have cap space even if he leaves, and will likely only have the Taxpayer MLE no matter what Harrell's decision is. Therefore, the Clippers are choosing between Harrell or nothing, rather than Harrell or a replacement.