The New Orleans Pelicans quietly made one of the better under-the-radar signings of the offseason. Former Philadelphia 76ers forward Trendon Watford agreed to a one-year, $2.9 million deal to serve as depth behind Zion Williamson, per Shams Charania.
This is exactly the kind of low-cost bet a smart front office makes. Watford is 25, a five-year NBA veteran, and a native of nearby Alabama who played his college ball at LSU. He knows the region, he knows the league, and he fits a specific role New Orleans desperately needed to fill.
The Zion connection is the story. Williamson has never played more than 70 games in a season, and the Pelicans have finally stopped pretending otherwise. Watford gives them a mobile forward who can slide up to the four when Zion sits, initiate offense from the elbow, and even start if the injury bug bites again.
Watford posted a triple-double last season, which is not something most bench forwards can claim. His passing vision is the underrated part of his game. He averaged over two assists per game in limited minutes with Philadelphia, and his ability to make quick reads out of the short roll fits Willie Green’s offense.
The Pelicans also explored a EuroLeague path for Watford before he chose New Orleans. That tells you two things: he wanted to stay in the NBA at the right situation, and the Pelicans convinced him he would get real minutes in the rotation. Both matter.
Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III still headline the wing depth chart, but neither is a natural four in smaller lineups. Watford unlocks positional versatility that David Griffin’s roster construction depends on. Small-ball units featuring Watford at the five could be a legitimate weapon against second units.
The contract itself is a bargain. At $2.9 million, this is essentially a minimum-plus deal that keeps the Pelicans flexible under the second apron. New Orleans preserved every roster mechanism it needed to make an in-season upgrade, and it filled a real hole in the process.
Do not expect Watford to be a star. That is not why he is here. He is here to give the Pelicans 15 to 20 solid minutes per night, hit open threes at a respectable clip, and keep the offense humming when Zion or Ingram sits.
The bigger question is whether the Pelicans can actually stay healthy long enough for signings like this to matter. Zion has to play. CJ McCollum has to hold up. Herb Jones has to bounce back from last season’s shoulder issues. If those things happen, Watford is a valuable piece. If they do not, this is another season of hypotheticals.
Griffin has been on the hot seat all offseason. Small, savvy moves like this one are how he buys himself another cycle. The Pelicans are not a title contender, and they just got a little bit deeper for almost no cost. That is a win in August.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
