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NBA Summer League: Trendon Watford wins MVP of 2022 championship game

The Blazers center starred in the championship game.

By Chinmay Vaidya
2022 NBA Summer League - Portland Trailblazers v New York Knicks
Trendon Watford of the Portland Trail Blazers prepares to shoot a free throw during the game against the New York Knicks during the 2022 Las Vegas Summer League on July 17, 2022 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images

Portland Trail Blazers center Trendon Watford was awarded MVP of the Summer League title game in 2022 as his 19 points and seven rebounds were instrumental in defeating the New York Knicks 85-77 in the contest. Watford has been a key player for Portland throughout the showcase event and could be in line for more honors.

Entering the championship game, Watford averaged 12.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. He’s unlikely to get heavy minutes with the main squad right away due to the presence of Jusuf Nurkic and Jerami Grant, but Watford remains a potential backup option for the Trail Blazers as they fill out the roster.

Watford did play 48 games for Portland in 2021-22, so there’s some familiarity between the player and team. That always helps when players are in the developmental stages of their careers, and Watford should benefit from remaining around the same organization. Winning MVP of the Summer League title game is a nice added bonus for Watford and the Trail Blazers.

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