The Philadelphia 76ers declined Trendon Watford's option for the 2026-27 season, making him an unrestricted free agent. Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers still have two roster spots to fill, and should be looking to add more forward depth in free agency.
That timing of it all potentially opens the door for Watford to return to Rip City, where he spent the first two seasons of his NBA career from 2021-23. He's even hinted at the possibility of a homecoming on X, responding with "easy decision" in a quote tweet when Blazers Argento said to "come back home."
Easy decision 🧗🏼♂️❤️ https://t.co/jhSFHdZR6S
— Trendon Watford (@trendonw) July 4, 2026
Trendon Watford opens the door to a Blazers homecoming
It always felt as though Portland gave up on Watford too quickly, who has a unique skill set in his playmaking and offensive versatility as a 6-foot-8 forward. He spent two seasons in Brooklyn before landing with Philadelphia this past season, though his brief stint with the 76ers was derailed by hamstring and adductor injuries.
Statistically, he's coming off the worst season of his career, averaging 6.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on 52/20/78 shooting splits in 16.3 minutes per game. He even fell out of Nick Nurse's playoff rotation, meaning this decision to decline Watford's option shouldn't come as a surprise.
It sounds like Watford is now open to returning to the Pacific Northwest, though it remains to be seen if the interest is mutual.
He would be a good fit from a positional standpoint, though the 20 percent three-point percentage from last season is a concern for a Blazers team that ranked 28th in three-point efficiency and now brings Ja Morant into the mix.
Ultimately, it could come down to Portland's confidence level in Watford's ability to reliably space the floor. He's been up and down throughout his career as a shooter, with two consecutive seasons hovering around 39 percent, followed by 33 percent, and now a career-low 20 percent.
From that standpoint, a far better fit to prioritize in free agency is Rui Hachimura, with a growing expectation that the Gonzaga product will not stay with the Los Angeles Lakers. If Portland is able to land a sharpshooting forward like Hachimura, suddenly Watford's shooting isn't as problematic a fit.
Nonetheless, it's an interesting development for a Blazers team that has been quiet in free agency and continues to see their options at forward land elsewhere.
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