Quentin Grimes And Trendon Watford Seeing Increased Roles Following 76ers’ Trade Deadline Deals

With the trade deadline officially passed, the 2026 Philadelphia 76ers’ final roster is essentially set. While other free agent signings can be made, the current squad is likely the team that will head into the postseason, hoping to bring home the first championship in the franchise’s history since 1983.

While some have questioned the 76ers’ moves this year through trades, Nick Nurse’s squad is still the deepest it’s been since he arrived in Philadelphia. When everyone is fully healthy and available, the 76ers arguably have the best starting lineup in the Eastern Conference, with Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Paul George (when he returns), Dominick Barlow, and Joel Embiid.

The bench, however, is another story. The most notable move made at last week’s deadline was that of former first-round pick Jared McCain being dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a first-round pick in 2026 and three second-round picks.

According to the 76ers’ president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, he traded McCain in hopes of flipping the return for the second-year guard into another win-now piece for the 76ers this season. However, no move was made, and the 76ers were without a backup point guard for Maxey and without one of their promising young scorers off the bench.

So what do the 76ers do now? Well, it’s now on what’s left of the 76ers bench to step up in McCain’s absence, most notably, Quentin Grimes and Trendon Watford.

As of right now, those two players seem like the first and second options when the bench unit enters games, but that didn’t seem like the case not too long ago, as both players saw a drop in their minutes.

Now the decreased playing time made sense, as Embiid, Maxey, George, and Edgecombe were all hitting their strides with each other, and all of them were playing over 35 minutes a night. Add on the fact that the bench was avoiding injuries, and you had nearly 12 players on a nightly basis for a 48-minute game.

The minutes did amp up after George went down with his 25-game suspension due to violating the NBA’s drug policy, and now, once again, with the loss of McCain, more minutes are needed out of what’s left from the 76ers. Enter Grimes and Watford.

However, over the past three games, both Grimes and Watford’s minutes have been extended, with Watford playing at least 15 minutes in his last games, the first time Nurse has done this since back in November. Grimes has seen the same, playing at least 23 in four straight contests for the first time since early January.

All of a sudden, both Grimes and Watford have extended their roles, Watford, especially, with the forward taking on a bit of the playmaking skills with the second unit.

In the 76ers’ recent matchup against the Warriors, Watford totaled 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two blocks, for one of his most efficient nights as a member of the 76ers. He also finished with seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in the win over Phoenix, continuing to produce in his increased show of minutes. Nurse obviously sees the potential and spark that Watford brings to the 76ers and truly values his service moving forward.

Grimes’ box score stats haven’t been as impressive over the past few games, but the 76ers obviously see him as the best scoring threat off the bench. The guard is averaging 12.7 points a game, the most by anyone not currently in the starting lineup, and is shooting over five threes a game. If Grimes can knock down just a few shots a night, he could very easily be a 15+ points per game player for this team, and without McCain, the 76ers are hoping for that.

Now, one player I haven’t mentioned for a bigger role off the bench is Kelly Oubre Jr., the unofficial sixth man of the current 76ers squad. Oubre has been the guy who normally gets the second unit going when Embiid goes to the bench, but due to George’s suspension, he has moved into a starting role until he returns.

Once the playoffs roll around, Oubre will likely move back to the bench, but if not, it will be Barlow. Likely though, Oubre will get his run with Grimes and Watford in the second unit, and if you add in Adem Bona, the 76ers have a solid bench. Time will tell if the great play from bench players will continue, but make no mistake, if this group can get going, they have the depth and the stars to make a run at the Larry O’Brien.

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