This Blazers reunion makes even more sense after losing Matisse Thybulle

Rip City Project · Jul 21, 2026 20:03 · 2 min read

This Blazers reunion makes even more sense after losing Matisse Thybulle — Dec 6, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Portland Trailblazers guard Matisse Thybulle (4) smiles before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Matisse Thybulle has joined the Lakers in free agency, and the Trail Blazers should fill the void by reuniting with Trendon Watford.

The Portland Trail Blazers have officially lost Matisse Thybulle in free agency. The veteran two-way wing is joining the rival Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year, $3.3 million deal, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Monday.

Portland still has one roster spot left to fill, and Thybulle would've been a solid fit, considering their need for wing depth and defense after leaning more into the offensive side of the ball with their surprising moves so far this offseason.

Considering we're already approaching August, Portland's options are limited. While they could keep the spot open to give themselves more trade flexibility, if they do ultimately fill it with another signing, it suddenly makes more sense than ever to reunite with Trendon Watford.

A Trendon Watford-Blazers reunion makes more sense by the day

After the Philadelphia 76ers declined Watford's option, he even teased a potential return to Portland on X:

Watford was a promising young piece that the Blazers gave up on too soon. After going undrafted out of LSU in 2021, Portland appeared to have found a hidden gem with its two-way signing.

Watford had two relatively productive seasons with the Blazers, hovering around seven points, four rebounds, and two assists during that stretch. As shown by his subsequent stops in Brooklyn and Philadelphia, he's only gotten better, too.

The one concern regarding his fit in Portland is the lack of shooting, connecting on 32.5 of his attempts from beyond the arc in his career. But the Blazers could surprisingly be a better shooting team than many expect this season, at least relative to expectations as a team that ranked 28th in three-point efficiency and just brought in Ja Morant.

Damian Lillard's return will do wonders for this offense, Vit Krejci should hopefully regain the form he previously had with the Hawks, and even the Micah Nori hiring should help, seeing as he already has a plan of attack to get this team better floor spacing.

Is Watford a perfect fit or dream free agency target? We wouldn't go that far. But the options are now thin, especially with Thybulle recently coming off the board.

Watford could be a realistic end-of-bench option who can impact winning without needing to score. He has a unique skill set as a playmaking forward, and Portland needs more of that versatility on this roster as they look to navigate logjams at multiple positions.