The Nets plan to make a qualifying offer to Trendon Watford before Saturday’s deadline, sources told The Post.
This makes the 23-year-old a restricted free agent.
Watford averaged 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game with Brooklyn last season.
Watford played on the veteran minimum wage last season and expressed a desire to remain with the Nets, so the move could be a sign Brooklyn wants to keep him as part of their rebuild.
“I think I can see myself being here again,” Watford said after the Nets’ season ended. “I love the fans, I love New York. It’s my first time living in New York and it’s been a challenge with the weather and the travel and everything, but it’s been great.”
“It’s been great being with these teammates and being with this organization. I don’t know what’s going to happen as a free agent, but it’s definitely been fun.”
Watford was teammate with Cam Thomas at Louisiana State University, but with the Michael Bridges trade, Thomas has not only become the Nets’ leading scorer but also the face of the team.
“It’s good to play with him again and see the big change in him from his freshman year in college to his third year in the league. Big leap,” Watford said. “He’s a really special player. He knows it and the world knows it.”
There’s no guarantee Watford will be able to play Thomas again this season, but the qualifying offer would allow the Nets to make that happen.
They now have the right to match any offer sheet other teams submit for Watford, who stepped up at the end of last season.
As the Nets deployed a younger lineup over their final 11 games, Watford was given a larger role, averaging 12.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists (albeit with 2.5 turnovers).
He shot .541 percent overall and a respectable .440 on 3-pointers late in the game.
“We’re an inexperienced team, but I think we’ve shown what we’re made of in the last 10 or 12 games,” Watford said of Brooklyn’s 6-5 win, which ended a six-game losing streak.
“When my chance came, I thought I played well at the end. I felt like I should have played earlier in the year and throughout the year, but I knew my chance was coming. Hopefully I left a good impression, but we’ll see how it goes.”
With Ben Simmons injured and Spencer Dinwiddie traded, Watford assumed the point-forward role as the secondary playmaker and even enjoyed serving as a backup to Dennis Schroder late in the season.
“I wouldn’t say point guard necessarily. I’m a point forward and can play as a forward or make any play that needs to be done. I just need to be able to go out on the court and be effective. I think I still performed well,” said Watford, who relished the role.
“Yeah, it was. It was a totally different experience for me. My rookie year I started at the 5, then my second year I got to play more as a forward, and then my third year I was playing more as a point guard or point forward, so it was awesome.”
