Charlotte Hornets big man Montrezl Harrell is in hot water today after authorities found marijuana in his car during a traffic stop. The 28-year-old is now facing felony charges related to drug trafficking.

According to officials, Harrell was pulled over in Richmond, Kentucky in early May for driving behind a vehicle too closely. The state trooper allegedly smelled marijuana in the vehicle and conducted a search. Three pounds of marijuana were found in vacuum-sealed bags inside a backpack in the backseat. Harrell was then charged with trafficking less than five pounds of marijuana. These charges could lead to five years in prison if he is convicted.

Harrell has been somewhat of a journeyman during his time in the NBA. The 28-year-old was a star during his time at the University of Louisville. Being selected to the All-ACC team twice, winning a national championship in 2013 and winning the inaugural Karl Malone award given to the nation’s top power forward in 2015. He was then selected with the 32nd pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. After a disappointing tenure with the Houston Rockets, he was traded to the Clippers in a blockbuster deal involving Chris Paul.

Harrell’s time with the Clippers was extremely productive, increasing his scoring average every season in L.A. Harrell averaged a career-high 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks off the bench in 2020. This performance was good enough to earn him Sixth Man of the Year Honors and the NBA Hustle Award that season.

Harrell signed with the Lakers during the 2020 NBA Finals and was subsequently traded to the Wizards a year later. He was dealt to the Hornets during the traded deadline and only played 25 games with the team, all appearances coming off the bench. The Hornets have declined to comment on the Harrell arrest, however, he was due to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Harrell is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on July 13.

In a blockbuster trade, the Los Angeles Lakers have acquired All-Star Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards on Thursday. The Lakers received Westbrook in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the No. 22 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. The Wizards also sent 2024 and 2028 second-round picks to the Lakers to complete the deal.

The Wizards used the first-round pick they received in the Westbrook trade to acquire point guard Aaron Holiday from the Indiana Pacers.

The Lakers were originally discussing a potential trade with the Sacramento Kings for shooting guard Buddy Hield but negotiations fell apart. However, Lakers fans are most likely happier with the deal that the team eventually completed.

“Thank you, DC! You welcomed my family and I with open arms from day one,” Westbrook wrote on Twitter. “Everyone from the front office to the training staff, the coaches, my teammates, and the fans. I’m grateful y’all took a chance on me and supported me every step of the way.”

The trade gives Los Angeles a big three in LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Westbrook. Last season, the Lakers failed to defend their title after suffering a first-round exit against the Suns. It was a disappointing year for the Lakers as injuries sidelined James and Davis during different stretches of the regular season.

Last season, Westbrook was traded to the Wizards from the Houston Rockets. In his only season in Washington, he averaged 22.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 11.7 assists, although he shot just 43.9% from the floor and 31.5% from downtown.

The arrival of Westbrook gives the Lakers a playmaker after Dennis Schroder left the team. Schroder was offered the maximum extension the Lakers were eligible to offer him, but he turned it down in favor of free agency. This deal also provides Los Angeles with another star in the event of another injury to James or Davis. Time will tell how much chemistry this big three will have on the basketball court. The Lakers should be considered one of the favorites to win the championship next season.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors game got physical heated Tuesday night.

The Raptors were hosting the current NBA Champions, and near the end of the first quarter, there was a physical altercation. The altercation occurred during a Toronto fast-break opportunity. Toronto’s OG Anunoby received a long pass during the fast break but was fouled by Lakers guard Dennis Schröder. After the foul was called, Anunoby proceeded to slam Schröder to the floor. Montrezl Harrell immediately came to the defense of Schröder and shoved Anunoby, but Gary Trent Jr. got in front of Harrell. Both Trent and Harrell exchanged shoves with one another as more of their respective teammates came to separate them.

After the altercation was broken up, Anunoby and Harrell were ejected. Despite throwing shoves, Trent was not ejected because he was not an instigator in the altercation.

The Lakers were able to take care of business despite missing sidelined All-Stars LeBron James, Andre Drummond and Anthony Davis. Toronto was missing Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet, both of whom are sidelined due to injuries.

By the end of the first half, Los Angeles led 68-42, and it seemed to be a blowout victory. However, Toronto slowly closed the gap in the fourth. The Lakers continued to hold a 20-point lead in the third quarter, but in the fourth quarter, the Raptors slowly clawed their way back.

Toronto outscored Los Angeles 31-20 in the fourth quarter but fell short of a comeback. The Lakers held on to a 110-101 victory.

We are about a third of the way through the fantasy basketball season, so fantasy owners should know by now which stats they need and which stats they can afford to trade away. There have been several key injuries in the NBA recently, which have had a significant impact on the fantasy landscape across the league.

If you are looking to improve your roster by making a trade, here are some players to consider targeting.

Montrezl Harrell, Los Angeles Lakers

Harrell was a beast off the bench for the Los Angeles Clippers over the previous two seasons, however, he has gotten off to a relatively quiet start in his first season with the Lakers. The big man is averaging 13.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per game. That means that is scoring five fewer points, grabbing one less rebound, and swatting .4 fewer blocks per game this season than he was last year with the Clippers.

So why should fantasy managers target Harrell? Well, it’s pretty simple. Harrell’s role was already going to increase after Anthony Davis was ruled out for 2-3 weeks with a calf strain, however, now Davis is expected to miss at least a month. That means that Harrell’s usage rate and minutes are going to increase exponentially. 

In nine games in which Harrell has played at least 28 minutes, he is averaging 17.7 points, 7.1 boards and 1.2 blocks. With Davis out for the foreseeable future, Harrell could very well see close to 28 minutes per game, which means his statistical output will be on the rise. Fantasy owners who currently own Harrell may be frustrated with his lackluster performance thus far. Put a few feelers out there to see if you can get the veteran big man at a discounted price. 

Verdict: Buy

CJ McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers

McCollum was absolutely dominating before suffering a significant foot injury on January 16. He is not expected back until mid-March, but he should pick up right where he left off when he returns. The sharpshooter was averaging a whopping 26.7 points and 4.8 threes per content before going down with the injury. He was shooting efficiently as well, knocking down 47.3 percent of his attempts for the field and 84.4 percent of his shorts from the charity stripe. 

Verdict: Buy

Kelly Oubre Jr., Golden State Warriors

Oubre has been a beast in the month of February. After a very sluggish start to the season, Oubre has found his way in Golden State. He has scored at least 23 points in three straight outings and has four straight contests with at least two steals. So long as he continues to post defensive stats, he should continue to serve as a solid option in the fantasy basketball world. In the month of February, Oubre is providing third-to-fifth round value. Target him now before his stock rises too much.

Verdict: Buy

The star power forward for the Los Angeles Lakers will be watching his team from the sidelines for the immediate future.

Anthony Davis reportedly strained his calf in Sunday’s game against the Denver Nuggets. The injury came in the second quarter of the game, when Davis planted his foot awkwardly on Nuggets center Nikola Jokic while driving to the rim. Davis was able to shoot two free throws before limping to the locker room. An MRI on Monday confirmed the calf strain, as well as tendinosis, which caused Davis to miss two games last week. Davis is not expected to suit up prior to the NBA All-Star break, which is from March 5 to March 10.

This injury comes as a major blow to the Lakers, as Davis played a critical role in the Lakers’ run to an NBA championship last season. Without him on the court, the burden will weigh heavily on 36-year-old LeBron James to keep the team afloat. Considering the history of achilles injuries in the NBA, particularly superstar Kevin Durant’s injured achilles that prevented him from seeing the court in 2020, the Lakers may want to be cautious in how soon they ease Davis back into game action. Nevertheless, without Davis in the starting lineup, the door becomes much wider for teams such as the Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz to sneak by the defending champions in the Western Conference. And in the East, the Brooklyn Nets are more poised than ever to prevent the Lakers from repeating as champions.

That being said, Davis will be back well before the end of the regular season, and as long as he does not aggravate the injury, the Lakers will still be heavy favorites to win the NBA Finals. Although the injury may prevent the Lakers from locking up the No. 1 seed in the West, it is hard to imagine any scenario in which Los Angeles is not playing in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers know that without Davis, the team’s hope for back-to-back titles is nothing but a pipe dream. So Los Angeles will ease Davis back slowly, not worrying about how his absence will affect the regular season standings.

Los Angeles currently holds the No. 2 seed in the West with a 21-7 record. They are two games behind the Jazz and only half a game ahead of the Clippers. Although they would love to secure home court advantage and for the road to the finals to run through the Staples Center, the Lakers know that the priority has to be keeping Davis injury-free for a playoff run. If Los Angeles had to choose between the No. 1 seed (but with a hobbled Davis) or the No. 2 or No. 3 seed (with a healthy and explosive Davis), they would forego home court advantage in order to have their superstar at full strength.

Laker fans may be a bit worried as we gear up for the All-Star break, but the team is in great shape right now. With the second-best record in the NBA, Los Angeles can afford to rest Davis so that he is injury free and firing on all cylinders when the Lakers make their championship run. Not to mention, it is still quite possible that the Lakers finish as the top seed in the West despite Davis’ absence over the next few weeks. Don’t forget that they only trail the Jazz by two games and that this is the same Lakers squad that has five players averaging double-digit points per game. With Davis out, Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma will be asked to shoulder a heavier load.

The fight for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference will be a very intriguing battle to watch. Don’t be surprised if the playoff seeding isn’t determined until the final day of the regular season. Get ready for an exciting stretch of competitive play prior to the ultra exciting NBA playoffs. And as long as Davis rejuvenates and is healthy for the postseason, the Lakers will be the team to beat in the West.

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