The Sixers have a deal with Trendon Watford on Night 1 of free agency.
The team has agreed to sign the 6-foot-8 forward to a two-year, $5.3 million contract, a source confirmed Monday night to NBC Sports Philadelphia. ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the news.
Watford played two seasons for the Trail Blazers and two for the Nets after going undrafted in 2021. The 24-year-old averaged 10.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season. He had a down year from three-point range, shooting 33 percent beyond the arc on 2.0 attempts per game.
Watford’s abilities as a big ball handler and passer are positives. He’s a generally versatile player with size and length (wingspan just over 7-2) that it appears could be useful for the Sixers. The team was often smaller than its opponents at most positions last year and just drafted guard VJ Edgecombe at No. 3 overall.
According to Cleaning the Glass, Watford played 11 percent of his minutes at small forward, 73 percent at power forward and 16 percent at center in the 2024-25 season.
Star Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey happens to already be friends with Watford. After his 33-point, 12-assist performance in the Sixers' Christmas win last season over the Celtics, Maxey shared that Watford motivated him.
“Watford’s always messing with me in Brooklyn like, ‘Yeah, you’ve played (well), done all these nice things in the playoffs and in the Garden, but can you play (well) on Christmas when you want to be with your family?’ He calls me all the time messing with me,” Maxey said.