By KACE KIESCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
Former LSU forward Trendon Watford has signed a one-year $2.9 million deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The 25-year-old free agent found a late landing spot that could provide more opportunity than other destinations. New Orleans made just two other free agent additions this off-season in guard Kobe Bufkin and center Hunter Dickinson after going 26-56 last season.
Watford played in 53 games and made seven starts for the Philadelphia 76ers last season in 16.3 minutes a game. He averaged 6.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game while shooting 51.5% from the floor. It was the lowest scoring mark of his career for a player who has averaged 7.6 points, 3.6 boards and two assists over his six seasons.
He signed with the Portland Trailblazers as an undrafted free agent in 2021. He spent two seasons in Portland and carved out a rotational role with nearly 20 minutes a night. In 2023 he moved on to the Brooklyn Nets, where he was again a regular contributor for two seasons. His best scoring season came in the 2024-2025 at 10.2 points per game on eight shots a night, 2.4 more than his career average.
At LSU, Watford was a blockbuster five-star signing to coach Will Wade’s 2019 class out of Mountain Brook High in the Birmingham area. The three-time Class 7A Alabama high school state champion played 31 games as a true freshman in the 2019-20 season, starting all but one. He scored 13.6 points and grabbed 7.2 rebounds a game and helped the Tigers to a 21-10 record and second place finish in the Southeastern Conference before the postseason was cut short by COVID.
As a sophomore in the 2020-21 season, he was LSU’s second-leading scorer behind freshman guard Cam Thomas with 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Watford helped the Tigers to an NCAA Tournament berth as a No. 8 seed and a 76-61 win over St. Bonaventure in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Michigan.
Be the first to comment