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Former Portland Trail Blazers forward Martell Webster’s NBA career might not be over just yet. Webster, 30, reportedly had a workout with the New Orleans Pelicans this week, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
In a recent podcast with ESPN Front Office Insider Bobby Marks, Woj hinted at the potential comeback in the following exchange:
Wojnarowski: [Talking about Boston] Everything is there for Kyrie to thrive. This rebuild by Boston, and in a lot of ways it's complete now. Like, this is... Listen, they have assets to go do something else big. Somebody becomes available. If an Anthony Davis will be continued to be talked about (sic). There was a workout in New Orleans this week and I was just imagining Anthony Davis walking in the gym. So they lose Solomon Hill for maybe the season, most of the season at small forward. And they are trying to resign Dante Cunningham, worried they may lose him to Minnesota. So they have a workout there with, I'm told, Josh Smith, Chase Budinger, Martell Webster.
Marks: (laugh) I didn't even know he was still playing.
Woj: I didn't even know he was still playing either. And I'm like, could you imagine Anthony walking in the gym and seeing that and going, "One of these guys might play 25 minutes a game for us this year and we're trying to make the playoffs and I want to win championships." Like, you know, so like who knows what happens with Anthony Davis, and he's been super loyal though to try to make it work there. So anyway, maybe he becomes available, maybe he doesn't.”
Webster last played for the Washington Wizards in 2015. In ten seasons, including five in Portland, he averaged 8.7 points a game and shot just over 38% from three. He was the sixth overall pick in the 2005 draft for Portland, and was traded to Minnesota in the summer of 2010.
In a Blazer’s Edge Podcast last summer, Martell did not rule out a possible comeback, but stated that it would have to be for a contender. Whether the Pelicans qualify as a “contender” remains to be seen, but they should at least be in the playoff mix.