The 76ers finally made their first signing of the free agency period, but it came with an emotional cost. Shams Charania of ESPN reported tonight that Philadelphia signed Trendon Watford to a two-year/$5.3 million contract. However, 76ers fans were barely able to react before The Athletic’s Tony Jones revealed that it appears that Guerschon Yabusele will not return to Philadelphia.
It's not looking good for the 76ers and Yabusele
A source told The Sixer Sense that the 76ers are signing Watford with the veteran minimum. He’ll go on Philadelphia’s 2025-26 payroll at around $2.4 million. Mathematically, Watford doesn’t impact the 76ers’ ability to re-sign Yabusele as it stands. Still, it may be a scenario where Philadelphia is being outbid by teams with a bit more flexibility such as the Milwaukee Bucks or Denver Nuggets.
As of now, the 76ers can offer no more than $5.7 million of the mid-level exception to Yabusele because they would be hard-capped at the first tax apron. Meanwhile, Milwaukee and Denver – thanks to the Michael Porter Jr. trade – have access to the full NTP-MLE. Both teams have a need for Yabusele for their respective reasons as his versatile scoring and connectivity can aid either of them.
For the 76ers to have a fighting chance, they’ll need to salary-dump multiple contracts, which may be the play. Jones further reported that in the past 24 hours, Philadelphia has been trying to trade Andre Drummond, who accepted his $5 million player option on Friday. However, a Drummond salary-dump would be just the start. The 76ers would need to explore shedding Kelly Oubre Jr. ( $8.4 million) and waiving Ricky Council IV ($2.2 million), which would land them $20 million below the first apron. Still, all three of those moves may be unrealistic.
Watford is still a solid pickup
Meanwhile, Philadelphia at last acquired a true forward in Watford, who could become a meaningful contributor within its rotation. He appeared in 44 games for the Brooklyn Nets this past season, where he notched 10.2 points per game on 55.7% true-shooting. He also provided 3.6 rebounds per game and 2.6 assists per game, but shot just 33% from beyond the arc.
At 6’ 9, Watford is a versatile forward who can score by line-driving to the rim, but his spacing ultimately extends to just 15 feet from the rim. He’s a capable mid-range scorer – using his size to create separation from defenders off the point-of-attack. Watford has overlooked passing instincts and could be a sound connector at power forward. He is a versatile defender with sound instincts on both ends of the floor.
Ultimately, he’s a solid addition to the 76ers’ rotation, but due to his limited perimeter shooting and underwhelming rebounding, he can’t be the sole replacement for Yabusele if he leaves. The 76ers are more than likely re-signing Quentin Grimes, which will possibly take them into the first apron. Philadelphia would end up with the $5.7 million taxpayer MLE, which should be used to target another four who could provide what Watford lacks.