76ers' Montrezl Harrell's Knee Injury Diagnosed as Torn ACL, Meniscus After MRI

An MRI on Wednesday revealed that Philadelphia 76ers backup center Montrezl Harrell has both a torn ACL and meniscus.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium first reported the news.

Harrell, who underwent the MRI after dealing with knee swelling this offseason, will now miss the 2023-24 season.

Harrell, 29, probably wasn't going to see many minutes for the Philadelphia 76ers this upcoming season.

Defending MVP Joel Embiid is entrenched as the starter, while the Sixers not only matched the three-year, $23 million offer sheet Paul Reed signed with the Utah Jazz, retaining him, but also signed Mo Bamba.

Reed had displaced Harrell as the backup center last season, with the latter only making two appearances in the playoffs. Reed, meanwhile, made the most of his postseason minutes, averaging 4.6 points and 5.5 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game.

That included a 10-point, 15-rebound performance against the Brooklyn Nets in Game 4 of the Sixers' first-round series, Reed's first playoff start. He followed that up with 10 points and 13 rebounds in Game 1 against the Boston Celtics, his last start in the postseason before Embiid returned.

Those showings made Reed the heavy favorite to earn the backup minutes at center this season, and meant Bamba and Harrell would have been battling for third-string duties. Now, the depth chart seems pretty locked in place.

The Sixers, meanwhile, have had an interesting offseason.

James Harden is trying to force a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers. The team made minimal moves this offseason, adding Patrick Beverley and Bamba in free agency while re-signing Reed and Harrell. Embiid notably said he just wants to win a championship "in Philly or anywhere else," a hint that he is starting to grow weary with the team's pattern of second-round exits.

Or that he just enjoys a good troll:

Either way, there isn't much excitement surrounding these Sixers, even with a new head coach in Nick Nurse now calling the shots. Losing a player before the season even begins—even if Harrell was unlikely to see much playing time—doesn't help.