Philadelphia 76ers’ Signing Keen to Improve Shot

The Philadelphia 76ers signed forward Trendon Watford to a two-year contract worth $5.3 million shortly after NBA free agency began.

Watford joins the 76ers coming off a career-best season with the Brooklyn Nets, where he averaged 10.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. His offensive production and efficiency, including a 33% three-point shooting accuracy, reached highs during his four-year NBA career. While not an elite percentage, his willingness to take deep shots aligns with the role of power forwards in coach Nick Nurse's system, as demonstrated previously by players like Guerschon Yabusele and Nicolas Batum.

Although Watford averaged only two three-point attempts per game under his previous coach Jordi Fernandez, he expressed confidence in his development and expects to get more open looks with the 76ers due to the defensive attention drawn by their star players. Watford stated, "I think I've made big-time progress... Having three great players that will draw a lot of attention, I’ll be able to get a lot of wide-open shots."

Watford acknowledged that signing is just the beginning and emphasized his commitment to offseason work, aiming to improve annually. He explained his goal is to "be better than I was last year" and plans to "stay in the gym, keep working on it, and keep getting better year by year."