When it comes to the Philadelphia 76ers‘ roster, there are two key components that get most of the attention. The first is the star trio of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George. After that, it’s the core of young talent headlined by Jared McCain and No. 3 pick VJ Edgecombe. However, there are talents outside of these groupings that deserve their shine as well.
Following a blockbuster summer in 2024, it was a much quieter offseason for the Sixers this time around. Their biggest move was drafting Edgecombe. Aside from that, most of Daryl Morey’s dealings came in the margins.
Among the new faces brought in to try and provide a boost for the Sixers was forward Trendon Watford. After showing promise with the Portland Trail Blazers and Brooklyn Nets, he was signed in free agency to fill the void at the power forward position.
While Watford is far from a flashy name, one analyst thinks he is a player worth monitoring.
Sep 26, 2025; Camden, NJ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers Trendon Watford poses for a photo during media day. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
In a recent column for The Athletic, longtime NBA writer John Hollinger broke down a series of under-the-radar players to watch in the 2026 season. Given his versatile skill set, Watford was among those to land a shout-out.
“Nobody is talking about this guy, but I think he might end up being an important player,” Hollinger wrote. “Watford has been difficult to define because he’s not really a floor spacer and not really a ‘big,’ but a lot of his best moments have come as a small-ball center who can make good decisions off short rolls and convert floaters and short shots in the lane.”
Last season, the Sixers saw a lot of success running small-ball lineups. While Watford doesn’t have the same physical makeup as Guerschon Yabusele, he has skills that could allow him to make an impact at center.
During media day, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse made it clear how high he is on Watford as a player. He was a major advocate in the team pursuing him in free agency, largely due to his versatile skill set. Seeing that Nurse is such a fan of his game, it’s fair to assume he’ll use him in countless ways to maximize his impact on both ends.
Trendon Watford ’24-25 pic.twitter.com/3pBOVhJoDs
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) July 2, 2025
As one of the players caught in the middle of the Sixers’ two timelines, he is certainly someone who could emerge as an X-factor in 2026.
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