It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it?Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, the opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace, that fits best with their path to the NBA. 

Introduction

I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2023 second-round picks and undrafted free agent signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2023-24 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence.As I will frequently emphasize and reiterate: in 2023, there is very little difference between the vast majority of second-round draft picks and undrafted free agents--it always all comes down to the skillsets they possess, their capacity for growth, and the situations they've landed in.Seasons will be made and broken with early identification of the diamond-in-the-rough rookies. I used to list out the many examples from the past season in this introduction portion, but we are now in a beautiful era where there are just too many to count. There is also very little separating the featured players below and those dubbed "Honorable Mentions"--so put in the work and keep an eye out throughout the regular season for who is receiving and seizing their opportunities. 

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Portland Trail Blazers forward Trendon Watford is getting waived after spending the last two seasons with the team. First reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Watford will become an unrestricted free agent that possesses some good upside on a cheaper contract for teams looking for role players. The 22-year-old averaged 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per contest across 110 games in two years. Watford will likely have a few teams after him, but his fantasy value won't grow much unless he goes to a rebuilding team.

Portland Trail Blazers forward/center Trendon Watford (ankle) could be out for a second consecutive game, with the team listing him as questionable for Thursday's matchup versus San Antonio. The 22-year-old has put in very impressive performances in recent weeks, but he has suffered a sprained ankle and the team has no reason whatsoever to push for his return, with Portland out of playoff contention and simply going through the motions in the last few games. John Butler Jr. and Jabari Walker will continue as the backup bigs behind Drew Eubanks if Watford remains sidelined. The two combined for 26 points and 11 rebounds last time out against Memphis.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Trendon Watford (ankle) is expected to play on Sunday versus Minnesota. The 22-year-old is battling a sprained right ankle. However, the Trail Blazers are shorthanded, so he should be out there in some capacity. Watford has averaged 11.1 points and 7.4 rebounds in eight starts this season. But with Damian Lillard (calf), Jerami Grant (quadriceps), Jusuf Nurkic (knee), and Anfernee Simons (foot) all out, he will see extra chances to produce, assuming he receives a full workload.

Portland Trail Blazers forward/center Drew Eubanks (tooth) and forward/center Trendon Watford (Achilles) are both available for Friday's contest against Dallas. This should be a great matchup for Eubanks and Watford, with Dallas lacking size and very vulnerable because of it, although they likely won't be able to play a big role behind Jusuf Nurkic and Jerami Grant. The Bosnian Beast has been surprisingly durable this season, which has made it very tough for Eubanks to log consistent minutes, and Watford's situation has been even worse at the club, although he was also held back by injury early in the campaign.

It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it? Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace, that fits best with their path to the NBA.Plus, I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games, or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2022 second-round picks and undrafted free agent signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2022-23 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence. ... [More]

It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it? Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace that fits best with their path to the NBA.Plus, I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games, or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2022 second-round picks and undrafted free agent (UDFA) signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2022-23 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence.... [More]

It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it? Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace, that fits best with their path to the NBA.Plus, I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games, or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2022 second-round picks and undrafted free agent signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2022-23 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence. ... [More]

Portland Trail Blazers forward Trendon Watford helped lead the team to an 85-77 victory in the Summer League championship game on Sunday. He was named the Championship Game MVP for his efforts as he compiled 19 points, seven rebounds, three steals, two assists and one block. He shot 7-for-15 from the field and 3-for-6 from three-point range in the game. Watford went undrafted out of LSU in 2021, but went on to play in 48 games with the Blazers last year. He showed some promising flashes as he averaged 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 53.2% from the field. He should be a part of the team's rotation for the 2022-23 season.

Portland Trail Blazers power forward/center Trendon Watford (knee) was able to accrue a double-double during Saturday's loss to the Rockets, but it came with a price: a bone contusion to his left femur. The injury will keep Watford shut down for at least one week, ruling him out for the team's next three games. Since seeing his minutes rise during March, Watford has emerged as a solid contributor for Portland, averaging 15.4 points and 6.7 boards across 13 contests. His injury further complicates a rotation that has been decimated by injuries, with Greg Brown III (eye) and Drew Eubanks the two likeliest candidates to see increased frontcourt roles without Watford available.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Trendon Watford has agreed to an extension with the organization. Watford has signed a four-year deal worth $5.8 million, but the final two years are non-guaranteed. This is great news for the two-way rookie who has impressed the team in his 33 games this season. Despite this new deal, Watford isn't on the fantasy radar and it'll likely remain that way. In a corresponding move, guard Dennis Smith Jr. (elbow) has been released by the team. He has been rehabbing an elbow injury and likely isn't going to play again this season. Regardless, Smith shouldn't be relevant in fantasy formats, assuming he signed with a team.