The NBA’s Montrezl Harrell has the weed felony charge reduced to a misdemeanor

Former Charlotte Hornets forward Montrezl Harrell pleaded guilty Wednesday to a single charge of possession of marijuana and avoided felony charges in the case, which began with a traffic stop in Kentucky. Under the terms of the plea, Harrell received a 30-day suspended sentence suspended from 12 months probation. If he completes his year-long probation without further legal issues, he won’t have to serve the 30-day sentence behind bars, Yahoo Sports writer and NBA analyst Chris Haynes announced in a tweet on Wednesday.

Harrell became an NBA free agent earlier this year after ending the 2021-2022 basketball season with the Charlotte Hornets. With the fate of the Kentucky marijuana charge now settled, it’s becoming of interest to several teams in the league who would be less likely to sign the veteran player while he was in legal jeopardy.

Harrell was arrested in Kentucky in May

Harrell was pulled over by a State Trooper for driving too close behind the vehicle in front of him while driving a rented 2020 Honda Pilot southbound on I-75 on the morning of May 12. In a police report cited by the Charlotte Observer, Trooper Jesse Owens wrote that after stopping Harrell’s vehicle in Madison County, Kentucky, he “observed” the smell of marijuana.

The citation also claimed that Harrell “admitted to possession of marijuana and produced a small amount from his sweatpants.” Police officers then searched the vehicle Harrell was driving. During the search, the officer discovered “three pounds of marijuana in vacuum-sealed bags” in a backpack, which traffic regulations said was found in the back seat of the vehicle.

Harrell was originally charged with trafficking less than five pounds of marijuana. Under Kentucky state law, possession of more than eight ounces but less than five pounds of marijuana is classified as a Class D felony for the first offense. Those found guilty of the charges face one to five years in prison behind bars and a $1,000 to $10,000 fine. A judge in Richmond, Kentucky on Wednesday approved amended charges in the case, leading to Harrell’s guilty plea of ​​the misdemeanor marijuana possession and the suspended sentence and probation.

8-year NBA veteran

Harrell, a North Carolina native, played eight seasons for the NBA and became a free agent at the end of last season. He played NCAA Division 1 college basketball for the University of Louisville Cardinals in Kentucky, where he averaged 11.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. As a freshman, he played on the Cardinals’ national championship team in 2013, although the NCAA later stripped the title from the team title for violating league rules.

Harrell was selected by the Houston Rockets in the second round of the 2015 NBA draft, the league’s 32nd overall pick that year. On September 19, 2015, he signed a three-year contract with the Rockets and made his NBA debut with the team in the season’s opening game against the Denver Nuggets, scoring eight points and catching three rebounds. He was assigned to Rockets D-League affiliate Rio Valley Grande Vipers several times during his rookie season.

In June 2017, the Los Angeles Clippers traded Chris Paul to the Rockets, acquiring Harrell, Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker, Darrun Hilliard, DeAndre Liggins, Lou Williams, Kyle Wiltjer and a 2018 Houston first round draft pick in the transaction. In September 2020, Harrell was named the sixth NBA Man of the Year, an honor bestowed by the league for the top bencher of the season. That season, the Clippers made the playoffs, losing to the Nuggets in seven games. Harrell averaged 10.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game in the playoffs, in which the Nuggets advanced to one after starting the three-game streak.

Harrell signed with the Los Angeles Lakers on November 22, 2020 and made his team debut the following month, amassing 17 points, 10 rebounds and three assists against the Los Angeles Clippers, his former team and the Lakers’ crosstown rivals. In August 2021, Harrell was traded to the Washington Wizards in a deal for point guard Russell Westbrook. He was traded to the Charlotte Hornets in February 2022 and had 15 points and six rebounds on his team debut on February 11. He became a free agent at the end of the 2021-2022 season.