Blazers Sign Trendon Watford to Four-Year Deal; Waive Dennis Smith Jr.

ThePortland Trail Blazersare converting Trendon Watford’s two-way contract to a four-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

In a corresponding move, the Blazers are waiving point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who suffered an elbow injury last week and likely would not have played for the rest of the season.

Watford, an undrafted rookie fromLSU, is averaging 4.5 points per game along with 3.2 rebounds. He’s begun to see more rotation minutes as the team’s injuries have begun to pile up, and he’s made the most of it.

In a piece written by Jason Quick of The Athletic, coach Chauncey Billups expressed Watford’s value to the team.

“He’s a plug-and-play guy, where you can put him in so many places,” Billups said. “He can do so many things because of his feel, and I don’t have to teach him, he just knows. And those things are quantified in numbers, or analytics, but those things are big. Big.”

With Watford now on the main roster, a two-way contract spot is now vacant and the Blazers will have the opportunity to fill it in the coming days.