The Philadelphia 76ers were a major disappointment last season at 24-58. One of the very few bright spots for the team was the play of Guerschon Yabusele. After being out of the NBA for five years, the 76ers brought the now 29-year-old back into the league on a one-year, veteran minimum’s deal. He ended up starting 43 games, but likely has priced himself out of Philadelphia. The 76ers added a Yabusele replacement on Friday, signing Trendon Watford on a two-year deal.
76ers Add (Likely) Yabusele Replacement In Free Agency
Trendon Watford Joining The 76ers On A Two-Year Deal
The 76ers are once again hoping to find solid production from a power forward on a minimum contract. As first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, the 24-year-old (turns 25 on November 9) Watford agreed on a two-year deal worth $5.3 million.
Free agent forward Trendon Watford has agreed to a two-year, $5.3 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. Watford is set to play a potential key role in the 76ers rotation. pic.twitter.com/PH0ttFVfCO
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025
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That could equate to an excellent value signing for the 76ers. Last season was Watford’s fourth in the league, and it was also his most productive. The 6-foot-10 forward appeared in 44 games (six starts) for the Brooklyn Nets last season. He posted career-best averages in numerous categories including scoring (10.2), assists (2.6), and steals (0.6). His shooting percentage splits on the season were 46.9/33.0/76.2.
Philly likely is hoping that Watford doesn’t need to start as frequently as Yabusele did last season. If he does, that would probably mean that Paul George missed a lot of time again. The 35-year-old only appeared in exact half of the 76ers outings (41) in 2024-25.
There is a clear pathway though for the four-year veteran to outproduce his minimum salary deal. The 6-foot-9 Watford is also capable of mopping up minutes at the five. That could prove to be beneficial if/when Joel Embiid misses time. Andre Drummond picked up his player option, but the 76ers could instead give backup big minutes to the younger Watford. (Also according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the 76ers are looking to trade Drummond.)
If I were a Philly Sixers fan I would be looking out for andre Drummond. The Sixers have been trying to move him over the last 24 hours. Let’s see if they get it done
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) July 1, 2025
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Third Team Of His NBA Career
The 76ers will be the third NBA team that Watford will have played for. Prior to playing the past two years for the Nets, he spent his first two seasons as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite being named First Team All-SEC for the 2020-21 season, Watford went unselected out of LSU in the 2021 NBA Draft.
In 217 career regular season games (30 starts), Watford has averages of 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. His career-high scoring night of 27 points came on March 12, 2022 while with the Trail Blazers.
After entering last season believing they were title contenders, Philadelphia instead weren’t even close to being a Play-In Tournament team. While Trendon Watford may not be seen as a player that will truly move the needle, he could play a huge role particularly on those nights when either George or Embiid (or both) inevitably miss games.
Photo credit: © Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
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