Sixers' Trendon Watford Avoids Damage in Latest Setback

The Sixers provided an update for Trendon Watford, which saw him miss out on some major damage.

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

When Guerschon Yabusele signed with the New York Knicks towards the start of free agency, it became a puzzle for the Philadelphia 76ers on how to replace his role for the upcoming season. After a few days, it would come out that the Sixers had found their replacement for the Frenchman, Trendon Watford.

Apr 8, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Trendon Watford (9) looks to drive past New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (21) in the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The 24-year-old made the move to the City of Brotherly Love fresh off a two-season stint with the Brooklyn Nets, with his last season seeing him average 10.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game across his 44 games in Jacque Vaughn's system.

One thing that had limited Watford's availability for Brooklyn last season was his hamstrings, as he would miss the first the entire preseason and opening 13 matches of the campaign due to issues with his left hamstring. Despite coming back for a solid stretch afterwards, he'd return to the Nets' injury report for 20 games due to a strain in his left hamstring.

It recently became apparent that this is an issue that still has yet to be settled, as Watford suffered another setback due to his hamstrings during the Sixers' opening practice session.

What's the latest on Watford's injury and availability?

At the time, Nurse explained that he had hoped to see the 24-year-old participate in team practices during their time in the Middle East as part of the NBA's Abu Dhabi Games, and it appears the team has come out with some updates regarding the injury.

According to a team official, Watford received imaging on his injury, which indicated no structural damage to his hamstring. Despite this, the team has no plans to rush him back to action, which can be reflected in his status for the upcoming match, as he'll miss out on Philadelphia's preseason match against the Orlando Magic on Friday night.

While he won't partake in the match against the Magic, the team is expecting Watford to partake in more on-court activities in the coming week.

Trendon Watford taking some shots on the court#sixers pic.twitter.com/S9cgF4hJe3

— Declan Harris (@DecIanH) October 8, 2025

At Wednesday's practice, Watford could be seen putting up shots on the court, which was a step up from where he was in the sessions prior to the team's flight abroad. In his place, Nick Nurse has plenty of options to pick from, including the likes of Dominick Barlow, Johni Broome, Adem Bona, and Jabari Walker.

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