Former Lakers Big Man May Get Up to 5 Years in Prison

Los Angeles Lakers fans were devastated after the latest Montrezl Harrell news broke. The former Lakers big man may end up in prison as he faces a felony drug charge. According to reports, the police found marijuana in his vehicle.

On May 12, a trooper pulled Harrell over on I-75 for a regular traffic stop. A state trooper reported that he followed another vehicle really closely. The trooper could feel the smell of marijuana in the air. He searched Harrell’s vehicle and found three pounds of marijuana stored in vacuum-sealed bags. The bags were hidden in a backpack in the backseat.

Former Lakers big man Harrell may deal with serious consequences after a potential prison sentence

The 28-year-old faces charges for trafficking less than five pounds of the substance. If convicted, the former Lakers big man may spend up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

According to police reports, the NBA player drove a rented silver 2020 Honda Pilot. Harrell didn’t deny the allegation and admitted to having marijuana.

Harrell’s preliminary hearing will take place on July 13 in Madison County District Court.

Will this arrest affect Harrell’s career in the NBA? The Houston Rockets selected Harrell in 2015 with the 32^nd overall pick. He spent two seasons with the team, averaging 6.9 points and 2.9 rebounds. His time with the Rockets ended in 2017. They traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers and Harrell stayed there for three seasons, averaging 15.2 points and 5.8 rebounds. Harrell showed great potential and his performance helped him win the 2019-20 Sixth Man of the Year Award. He was averaging 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game that season.

The Lakers offered Harrell a two-year deal in free agency. He saw action in 69 games in the 2020-21 NBA season, averaging 13.5 points and 6.2 rebounds. LA won 42 games and beat the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament. They lost the series to the Phoenix Suns.

That’s all. The Lakers traded him, Kyle Kuzma, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Washington Wizards to get Russell Westbrook. He played 46 games with the Wizards and they traded him to the Hornets. What will happen after this arrest?