After being linked to an overseas situation, the former Philadelphia 76ers forward Trendon Watford has made a final decision on his future. Instead of exiting the NBA, Watford’s patience paid off and will help him land with the New Orleans Pelicans.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Watford has agreed to a one-year deal. He is set to make $2.9 million for the season. The NBA insider added that Watford “considered multiple options” this offseason, but heading to the hopeful contenders out in New Orleans is in the cards for the 25-year-old forward.
Patience paid off for Watford
Back on August 3, Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews reported that Watford was “nearing” a deal to join Valencia Basket in Spain. Watford would’ve been the third American player to join the club at the time.
It’s unclear if the talks were truly close or not, but Watford quickly made it clear that he wasn’t guaranteed to head overseas. The veteran forward took to social media to shoot the report down. "False news you guys," Watford wrote on X. "Don’t believe everything you see."
The Sixers had a team option to keep Watford in the building. They could’ve paid him $2.8 million for the 2026-2027 NBA season. However, the Sixers’ new front office, led by Mike Gansey, decided to cut ties with the veteran. Now, Watford lands a new opportunity in the NBA, with a slightly higher deal than he had lined up with the Sixers.
The 25-year-old forward entered the NBA after a stint with LSU. In 2021, Watford went undrafted. He started his pro career on a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. Eventually, he was converted to a standard deal. He ended up playing two seasons with the Blazers. During the 2023 offseason, Watford joined the Brooklyn Nets on a one-year deal. He would re-sign with the Nets the following year.
When the Sixers picked up Watford, he was coming off a 44-game run with the Nets, where he averaged 10.2 points, 2.6 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game. He appeared in 53 games for the Sixers, seeing the court for 16.3 minutes per game. Watford shot 51.5% from the field to produce 6.5 points per game. Along with his scoring, he came down with 3.3 rebounds per game, and dished out 2.5 assists per game.
Watford will face the Sixers for the first time on January 28, 2027, in New Orleans. He’ll make his first return to Philadelphia since leaving on February 1, 2027.
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