Three-and-one-half hours before the opening of the negotiation period for NBA free agents this offseason, former Mountain Brook High School star Trendon Watford became one.

The Portland Trail Blazers announced on Friday they had waived the 6-foot-9 forward after two seasons with the team.

Watford made the Trail Blazers’ roster as an undrafted rookie in 2021 after he’d averaged 16.3 points and 7.4 rebounds for LSU in the 2020-21 season.

In two seasons with Portland, Watford averaged 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 18.6 minutes across 110 games, with 22 starts.

At Mountain Brook, Watford earned first-team All-State recognition three times as the Spartans won the AHSAA Class 7A boys’ basketball championship in each of his final three seasons. The Alabama Sports Writers Association chose Watford as the state’s Mr. Basketball in 2018 and 2019 as he set the ASHAA career rebound record with 1,909.

If Watford had been on the Trail Blazers’ roster on Saturday, his $1,836,096 salary for the 2023-24 season would have become guaranteed.

RELATED: BRANDON MILLER SET TO MAKE HIS PRO DEBUT ON MONDAY NIGHT

NBA teams can begin negotiating contracts with free agents at 5 p.m. CDT Friday, although players cannot sign until July 6.

By waiving Watford, Portland created an open roster spot with free agency starting.

One of the players who has been reported on the Trail Blazers’ radar hasn’t played in the NBA in the past two seasons. Former Luverne High School and Alabama standout Donta Hall played for AS Monaco in France’s top league and the EuroLeague after appearing in 22 NBA games for the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

At Luverne High School, Hall was a two-time All-State selection and the ASWA Class 2A Player of the Year in 2015, when he averaged 22.6 points, 18.1 rebounds and 12.0 blocks per game.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.