LSU Professional Athletes

LSU Alumni Report | NBA | Aug. 16–22, 2026

The biggest news out of the LSU NBA alumni world this week requires zero travel for the fans who know Trendon Watford best.

The former Tiger forward has signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, bringing him back to Louisiana — just 80 miles down the road from where he made his name in Baton Rouge. After rumors earlier this offseason suggested Watford might take his game overseas, he instead found a landing spot in the Smoothie King Center, squashing any notion that his NBA chapter was closing.

Watford, a physical and versatile forward who played one standout season at LSU before entering the 2021 Draft, adds depth to a Pelicans frontcourt that can use experienced bodies. The one-year structure is a prove-it deal in every sense — a platform for Watford to remind the league what he's capable of while playing in front of a fanbase that already knows his name.

For LSU faithful scattered across the country, the fit carries obvious sentimental weight. The Pelicans' market overlaps directly with the Tigers' most passionate base, meaning Watford won't have to convert a single new fan in New Orleans.

The Broader Picture

Watford's signing is the headliner, but LSU's NBA footprint remains notably wide heading into the 2026–27 season. Cameron Thomas is suiting up for the Milwaukee Bucks, Naz Reid is with the Charlotte Hornets, and Tari Eason continues his development as a power forward with the Houston Rockets — where he's joined by fellow Tiger Darius Days.

Ben Simmons, the polarizing former No. 1 pick, is on the Los Angeles Clippers roster, while Skylar Mays holds a spot with the Lakers. Javonte Smart is in Orlando with the Magic, Garrett Temple remains a veteran presence in Toronto, Duop Reath is holding down the frontcourt in Portland, and Alex Fudge is with Dallas.

That's 11 LSU alumni across the Association — a number that speaks to the program's sustained pipeline into professional basketball. The talent that came through Baton Rouge has clearly stuck at the highest level.

For now, though, the story belongs to Watford. A homecoming signing, a one-year shot, and a chance to write a new Louisiana chapter — this time in purple and gold of a different shade.

The most compelling LSU story in the NBA this week has nothing to do with anyone currently on a roster.

Ben Simmons — three-time All-Star, former No. 1 overall pick, and the most complicated talent to come out of Baton Rouge in a generation — is making noise about a return to professional basketball. After missing the entire 2025–26 season following a difficult final run with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2025, Simmons posted a teaser on Instagram that sent the basketball internet into its predictable spin cycle. The message was unmistakable: he's not done.

More concrete than a social media post, Simmons has signed on as a full participant in Australia's national basketball minicamp, a meaningful step for a player whose injury history and prolonged absences had many wondering whether he'd ever suit up again at the highest level. Full participation — not a ceremonial appearance, not a workout cameo — signals that his body is cooperating in a way it hasn't in years.

The path back won't be simple. Simmons turns 30 in July 2026, his last real NBA action came with a Clippers team that moved on, and the league has continued evolving in ways that demand more from point guards on the offensive end — historically Simmons' most scrutinized limitation. Still, elite length and defensive instincts don't simply disappear, and a healthy Simmons remains a player with no true positional analog in the modern game.

Whether an NBA team pulls the trigger on a contract offer will depend largely on what scouts see out of Australia. But the fact that Simmons is in a gym, healthy, and publicly committed to a comeback is a bigger development than anything the rest of the LSU alumni pool produced this week.

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Elsewhere around the league, the Tiger contingent is largely in the quieter stretch of the offseason. Naz Reid, now in Charlotte after signing with the Hornets, and Cameron Thomas, entering his first season in Milwaukee with the Bucks, headline a group of LSU alumni that spans 11 NBA rosters — a testament to the program's sustained pipeline into the league. Tari Eason remains in Houston as one of the Rockets' key frontcourt pieces, while Duop Reath continues to anchor depth in Portland. Trendon Watford is back in Philadelphia with the 76ers, and Garrett Temple — still logging NBA seasons as a veteran presence — is in Toronto with the Raptors.

None of those names generated significant news during the August 9–15 window. But with training camps on the horizon, that will change quickly.

For now, all LSU eyes are on Simmons — and whatever that Australian minicamp produces.