The Philadelphia 76ers are still alive this season. While they are staring at a 2-1 deficit in their first-round playoff series against the Celtics, they remain in contention to stage an upset, especially if they get their best player back. Be that as it may, the team might have already decided on the fate of one of its players even before their postseason run comes to an end.
Trendon Watford was one of the better low-cost acquisitions in free agency last year. The 76ers hold a team option for him next season, but from the looks of it, it does not seem too likely that he will be part of the roster again for the 2026-27 campaign. After all, he has not been given any real minutes as of late, which is pretty telling of where the coaches currently stand with him.
In their first three playoff games, Watford has registered a grand total of seven minutes, all of those coming in Game 1 against Boston which was a complete blowout. But even before that, the 25-year-old has not gotten much playing time to end the regular season. In seven games in April, he logged just slightly above 14 minutes in total with four DNPs along the way.
The 76ers are extremely likely to part ways with Trendon Watford this offseason
For the most part, Watford was a positive addition to the 76ers. In 16.3 minutes a night, he poured in 6.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists –– an all-around stat line that is emblematic of the value he provided to the team across the board.
He filled numerous roles this season, going from starting some games at power forward to even functioning as a quasi-point guard when the team needed a lift in the position. Remember when he turned in a triple-double early in the season? That was a splendid performance, indeed.
However, it is unmistakably clear that the coaches are not as invested in him as most people think they would be. He is firmly on the lower spectrum of the pecking order at the forward position, and while that is unfortunate, Nick Nurse and his crew cannot be faulted that easily for not giving Watford more run.
For all his strengths, Watford basically forgot how to shoot three-pointers this season. It is simply a matter of one player not doing the one thing his ball club desperately needs. Philadelphia is one of the worst three-point shooting teams this season from total makes, attempts, and conversion rate, so trotting Watford out has become a difficult proposition.
As such, the writing is probably already on the wall for Watford's fate with the franchise. Fortunately for him, he still managed to show enough positive traits to warrant bidders should he become officially available for taking in free agency.
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