3 Young players the Cavaliers could sign in free agency

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AUSTIN, TX – APRIL 06: Trendon Watford #2 of the Portland Trailblazers (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) /

Player 2 – Trendon Watford

For the Portland Trail Blazers, I was sure that Trendon Watford would get a good amount of minutes next season. The Trail Blazers look to be a lottery team once again, so I thought that given the state of the roster plus his talent would give him a great chance to be a key bench piece.

However, Watford was waived at the end of June, which was a surprise to me. He was only slated to make $1.8 million next season, as well as $1.9 million during the 2024-25 season. He’s only 22 years old and looked really good on the Blazers’ roster.

Watford averaged 7.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists last year for Portland, playing in 62 total games. He also shot 39.1 percent from distance as a power forward, which is impressive, even considering he only attempted 1.0 3-pointers per game. He’s super athletic, and considering he has a solid jump shot, he should no question get an NBA contract.

Sure, the Cavaliers did sign Georges Niang in free agency to be their backup power forward, but that doesn’t mean Watford can’t be looked at. He can play the center position if need be, as he is 6’9″. He’s never been an amazing shot blocker, but considering he would hypothetically play with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, he wouldn’t need to be.

The one thing that I actually really like about him is his assist numbers; 2.1 assists per game is really underrated for a power forward. Having a player who knows how to make the right pass is helpful, as he’d be great at kicking the ball out to shooters in Cleveland. Plus, only turning the ball over 1.1 times per game is good, too.