The Adelaide 36ers have officially parted ways with star forward Montrezl Harrell.
Harrell's contract termination comes amid an ongoing doping investigation following his stint playing in China over the off-season.
36ers terminate Montrezl Harrell's contract
The 31-year-old's dismissal comes just days out from the 36ers' season-opener on Sunday against the Brisbane Bullets, leaving a huge gap on their roster.
"Harrell is currently serving a provisional ban after he was found to have used a prohibited substance while playing for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association," the 36ers said in a statement.
"He was tested in April 2025 with a positive finding being announced two months later - after he had already re-signed with the Adelaide 36ers.
"As it stands, Harrell is not permitted to train or play.
"And with no timeline on when the process will be finalised and no certainty on any sanctions, the club has been left with no option but to terminate Harrell's contract to allow it to move to finalise the playing roster."
The former NBA Sixth Man of the Year was a dominant force in the NBL last season, averaging 20.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, earning All-NBL Second Team honours.
Adelaide will look to replace Harrell in their star-studded lineup, with two import slots available, following Bryce Cotton gaining Australian citizenship.
Cotton, a five-time league MVP, joined the 36ers this off-season, teaming up with local talents Isaac Humphries and Dejan Vasiljevic, and is hopeful the front office can recruit a replacement for Harrell.
"It’s about seeing how we can pull a rabbit out of a hat in a quick time,” Cotton told SEN. "I would assume they have to come from America, outside of that I have no idea.
"There are so many sliding door moments right now. The NBA is going to start making some cuts, so that’s a good window to catch some heavy talent. This is a very tricky window."
Despite the tough situation for Harrell, the fan favourite had nothing but good things to say about the fans in Australia.
"Much love for all the Australian fans man I truly appreciate and love the support and energy yall gave to me! Made me fall in love with hoops again last year in a dark time! Will always be grateful for that!" he tweeted earlier this week.
Harrell last played in the NBA in 2022-23 for the Philadelphia 76ers, before an ACL injury ruled him out of the following season. At this stage, it is unclear if he could find a path back to the league.
Across 515 games in eight seasons in the NBA, Harrell averaged 12.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists.