The Washington Wizards should sign this 22-year-old free agent big man

The Washington Wizards have rejuvenated their franchise this summer. Firth, they flipped from an aging team to team led by 24-year-old Jordan Poole, now they are likely preparing to start accumulating young talent.

While many teams will naturally turn to the draft to do so, there are still some high-quality young players available in free agency right now. One of the big ones being Trendon Watford who was recently cut by the Portland Trailblazers, a move that puzzled many around the league.

The Washington Wizards should explore signing Trendon Watford

Still only 22 years old, Watford was a major part of some gritty wins last season for the Portland Trailblazers. This includes a 21-point performance against the Wizards where he just cooked the defense.

While his stats don’t jump off the page, he still put up respectable numbers averaging 7.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Considering he played less than 20 minutes per game and had an effective field goal percentage of 59.9%, it’s not ridiculous to say he had a pretty solid season.

He’s a quality player on both sides of the basketball court and could be an excellent player in one of the two-way slots the Wizards have available. There aren’t many players like him left on the market, not to mention the fact that he perfectly fits the Wizards current window.

The best way to get him on the roster would be to have Patrick Baldwin Jr be a full time player in the rotation, which already seems likely and have the same apply to Johnny Davis. The two-way positions could then be held by Ryan Rollins, Eugene Omoruyi, and Trendon Watford. All assuming that the Wizards elect to not buy out Tristan Vukcevic’s contract.

Signing a player like Trendon Watford is a low-risk high-reward move, something the Washington Wizards should be looking to create at every opportunity. This seems like the right move to make.