July 03, 2025
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
Trendon Watford spoke about his decision to join the Sixers on Thursday afternoon.
CAMDEN, NJ – Inside the gym, the Sixers held their third and final Summer League practice at their practice facility before departing for Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. Right outside, 24-year-old forward Trendon Watford held court to discuss his decision to sign with the team on a two-year contract, his preexisting bond with star guard Tyrese Maxey, and more.
Another Sixers soundbites featuring everything Watford had to say about his new home:
• Watford on why he was interested in joining the Sixers:
"I pretty much got the call from Coach Nurse as soon as free agency started and he said he was a fan of my game and [talked about] some of the things I can bring to the team and [using] my versatility. I know he's a defensive-minded coach and a coach that's actually won a championship and that's had a pretty good coaching career in this league. So that's what drew it to me. And obviously playing with one of my best friends, Tyrese, knowing each other since we were kids and his family knowing mine – it just worked out perfect… I think it lined up pretty well.”
• Watford on his relationship with Maxey:
“Over the years, we never got a chance to play together. We've always played against each other. I'm excited to be alongside him and even the other great players we’ve got on the roster: [Paul George], Joel [Embiid] and Kelly [Oubre Jr.] and just a lot of pieces. Tyrese called me… after that it was locked in.”
• Watford on his unique ball-handling and passing skills at 6-foot-9:
"I've pretty much always had that. I tell the story all the time. When I was bigger than everybody coming up, my dad coached me or would never let a coach put me in the post and I was just always able to continue working on my ball-handling. I guess he knew the bigger picture with me growing and me being able to use my ball-handling and get downhill and playmake for myself and others. So I wouldn't say it just started. I mean, if you go back and look at me in college, I had the ball in my hands a lot, just being able to playmake and, you know, get guys involved. It’s been a journey with that.”
• Watford on the backstory of his friendship with Maxey:
"We were at a high school camp together, I think maybe ninth grade. He claims that the group of guys I was with weren't really talking to him because he wasn't highly-ranked yet or whatever it was. But now we’re locked in. We locked in from that point on, and my family knows his family. We ended up being roommates at the McDonald's [All-American] Game… I know his sister, his uncle, his brother, everybody in his family. It’s definitely an experience that we talk about. And it's crazy that now we’re teammates. I was able to talk some trash to him when we got the win here last year and [in Brooklyn], so I was able to talk some trash to him, now we’re teammates, so I'm excited."
• Watford on the value of his relationship with Maxey:
"It's extremely helpful. I mean, I remember just talking to him – my second year in college was his rookie year, and just talking to him with some of the stuff he was dealing with, I already had a good idea of what I was coming into. But man, it's great. It's great. We can't believe it, honestly. We’re still in shock. And he called me right before this was like, man, ‘I just can't believe you’re in Philly.’"
• Watford on how he envisions himself fitting in with the entirety of the Sixers' roster:
"Just being able to use my IQ… I played with a great guard in Damian Lillard when I was in Portland… Being able to play off of [Embiid, Maxey and George], I think they’re obviously three great players and are going to be the three guys that are leading our team. So I think just finding where I can fit in that and use my IQ and use my what I do to be out on the court."
• Watford on his major increases in three-point volume over each of his two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets:
"I made big-time progress, especially the last two years with my attempts continuing to go up and now it's just continuing to work on it. Like you said, having three great players that require a lot of attention, I'll be able to get a lot of wide open shots. So just staying in the gym and keep working on it and keep getting better year by year. That's my goal, and being better than I was last year."
• Watford on the other focuses of his individual development moving forward:
"Continue to sharpen everything. Continue to become better defensively, even after having a solid defensive year. Continue to become better at everything. Coming from last year, I was able to just look at some stuff that I wanted to do better, even though I had a solid year, just looking at some stuff I wanted to do better and just grow from. So not trying to just focus on one thing, but continuing to sharpen my shooting, my passing, my IQ, watching film, watching some things and learning how to play off of these guys."
• Watford, the 2022 NBA Summer League Championship MVP, on his advice for the young Summer Sixers before they depart for Salt Lake City and Las Vegas:
"Man, go win it! Go win it. I lost the first game and didn’t look back after that. I think we won four in a row after that. It's a great experience. I know Justin [Edwards] is coming into his second year, which was big for me. I'm pretty sure he'll do great things out there. And I know they got a lot of other guys with VJ [Edgecombe] and [Johni] Broome and just other guys that they have playing. Man, go win it. Go get the championship. Start the year off right."
MORE: Trendon Watford film study
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