Trendon Watford Waived by Trail Blazers After 2 Seasons, Will Be UFA

Trendon Watford is an unrestricted free agent at just 22 years old.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Portland Trail Blazers are waiving the third-year forward Friday ahead of the start of free agency's negotiating period at 6 p.m. ET.

Watford signed with Portland after going undrafted in 2021 and he averaged 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists across 110 games for the organization.

Watford signed a four-year, $5.8 million contract with the Trail Blazers in 2021 and was originally set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2025. The power forward possesses a 6'9", 240-lb frame and could be a solid bench piece for a team in need of some cheap depth.

Watford was on a non-guaranteed minimum salary that would have become guaranteed if he were not released by the team by Friday. If he were to be claimed by a team before hitting free agency, his contract would continue as is. If not, he will be able to negotiate a new deal.

The move comes after Portland extended qualifying offers to Matisse Thybulle, Ibou Badji, and John Butler Jr while declining a team option on Kevin Knox II and not extending a qualifying offer to Cam Reddish. The latter was among the pieces sent to Portland in the Josh Hart trade.

The Trail Blazers main storyline in the offseason remains the status of Damian Lillard and if he will be moved by the team or built around. Releasing Watford and opening up the cap space and roster spot could be linked to a move on this front.