Harrell's ban comes back to haunt him in Puerto Rico

• Montrezl Harrell averaged 20.5 points and 9.3 rebounds for the Adelaide 36ers, making the All-NBL Second team in 2025
• Harrell's contract was terminated by the 36ers after issues surrounding a positive drug test in China
• 'How does this happen?': Jason Cadee shocked by Harrell release

Former NBL big man Montrezl Harrell has been banned from playing in Puerto Rico on the eve of the playoffs after being suspended due to a failed drug testing process stretching back to his time with the Adelaide 36ers, reports Jai Shadlow from Fox Sports.

Atléticos de San Germán released the former NBA Sixth Man of the Year after being suspended by the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) just days following his best performance of the season for San Germán, with 32 points and 14 rebounds, including the game-winning basket in a victory over Capitanes de Arecibo.

Harrell’s failure to complete an out-of-competition drug test while playing for the Adelaide 36ers on January 29, 2025 is believed to be the cause of the suspension.

The former Los Angeles Clippers, Lakers, Houston Rockets and Charlotte Hornets forward did not test positive for any performance-enhancing substances but his failure to compete the testing process - where he allegedly told testers he couldn't urinate anymore and left despite being warned by officials not to leave - still resulted in a ban.

BSN tournament director Ricardo Carrillo told Joseph Reboyras of Primera Hora he received formal communication from the NBL, saying Harrell’s suspension remains in effect until January 2027.

"All I can do is apologize to my teammates and fans from San German," Harrell wrote on his Instagram page.

"Didn't see this happening and from a country I thought I only showed love to and supported in Australia.

"Guess really don't know how people feel about you till they can't use you no more."

One of the biggest personalities to ever play in the NBL had a major impact in his first season in 2024-25 and was re-signed by the 36ers to play alongside Bryce Cotton for last season but was released after receiving an anti-doping ban from his time playing in China.

That ban ended in January this year.

Harrell joined former 36ers teammate Jason Cadee on a tell-all episode of the Cut to the Jase podcast in December, 2025 about the saga which saw him released from the NBL franchise and where he also expressed his desire to once again play in Australia.

The 32-year-old spoke about how he felt he was hard done by from the Adelaide front office on the way out and also how 36ers fans rekindled his love for the game.

"I give it to Matt (Weston), bro. He was definitely adamant throughout the whole thing, trying to help the situation and trying to figure out what actually was going down," Harrell said on the basketball.com.au podcast.

"If anybody who was trying to figure it out, it was him... He definitely did the work of trying to get it handled or at least figure out what actually is going to transpire in it. But when it started to come down to the situation and to the point where he started to see that the people that he actually knew really couldn't do nothing with the situation... they kick me.

"This is the thing that rubbed me wrong with it.

“You send my agent a termination letter and give me a time period on that same day telling me I have to sign it, and if I don't sign it, you just going to terminate my contract.

“We didn't come to no agreement on parting ways, bro. They terminated my (contract) and signed somebody that same day, bro.

"So, that's where my animosity rubs. That's where my chest starts to get real tight now. I start to, you feel me, get real aggressive because you was with me, I stuck up for the club and took a suspension for three days for somebody pushing you, Matt. I took that suspension for you.

"Y'all telling me we family, we this and that and that's what rubs me wrong, bro... because I gave y'all all of me. Every time I laced up my shoes on that court, Adelaide got everything I had.

"Y'all got everything I had and y'all taught me and made me feel a love for the game of basketball again, bro, when I was in a real dark place, that will never change. But as I was done on the way out, that's f****d up, bro."

Harrell had also been playing in Ice Cube's Big3, where he was dominating before moving to Puerto Rico.i