Free-agent signee Trendon Watford has a combination of size, skill and intensity that should help the Sixers and play well with Philly fans.
Trendon Watford is going to talk trash.
It doesn’t matter if your his hated opponent or one of his best friends like Tyrese Maxey — if Watford gets the better of you, be prepared to hear about it.
“It’s always been a part of my game, man,” Watford said during his first meeting with the Philly media. “Growing up, just me having an older brother — 10 years older than me, that played in college and professionally — so it wasn’t easy. I had to get it, so I think that’s just what’s in me. Being that guy that mixes it up and not afraid to take wherever we gotta take it to.”
Sounds like the type of player who will be at home in the City of Brotherly Love.
Beyond the fiery style of play, Watford offers great size and versatility, two things the Sixers will miss with the departure of Guerschon Yabusele. The 24-year-old Watford stands at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan.
While he started his career with the Portland Trail Blazers as a small-ball five, he spent the last two years as a Brooklyn Net and getting minutes as the team’s backup point guard. That type of varied skillset was ingrained in him by his father. While he was growing up, his dad would never let him be a post player, even when he was the tallest kid out there.
Watford also credits his first four years in the NBA with rounding out his game even further. As a rookie, he got to share the floor with nine-time All-Star guard Damian Lillard. In Brooklyn, his experience being the team’s de facto backup point guard only added more layers to his game.
He’s eager to play alongside Maxey and two other stars in Joel Embiid and Paul George.
“Just being able to use my IQ to play off of them,” he said. “I played with a great guard in Damian Lillard when I was in Portland, so just being able to play off some great players that I’ve played with already. And just valuing my IQ. … I think they’re obviously three great players and they’re going to be the three guys leading our team. I think it’s just finding where I can fit in, using my IQ and using what I can do to be out on the court.”
In a bit of a surprise, it wasn’t Maxey who made the initial recruiting pitch. That duty went to head coach Nick Nurse, who called Watford immediately once the free agency period began Monday night. That spoke volumes to Watford, who was eager to come to Philly.
The phone call from Maxey came immediately after.
Watford and Maxey have been friends since they met at a basketball camp in ninth grade. Their parents became friends and the players roomed together for the McDonald’s All-American Game back in 2019. Funny enough — even in that game — the two have never been teammates.
It took four years into Watford’s NBA career and five years into Maxey’s to make it happen.
But here we are.
“Man, it’s great,” Watford said. “We can’t believe it, honestly. We’re still in shock. He called me right before this and was like, ‘Man, I can’t believe you’re in Philly and going to go to the facility.’ It’s crazy. It’s crazy to be on the team right now.”
Watford is by no means a 1-for-1 replacement for Yabusele. There’s some overlap, but you’d put Watford more into the category of a combo forward and Yabusele more as a combo big.
One commonality — they both wear their emotions on their sleeve on the court, something that endeared Yabusele to the Philly faithful.
“I can’t wait. I’m ready to get it going,” Watford said. “I know how much the team means to the city and talking to Tyrese, how the Philly fans are, so I think we’re gonna get along well and I look forward to bringing what I bring to the city.”
Yeah, Watford should fit right in.