What you need to know about Philadelphia 76ers’ signing Trevelin Queen

While P.J. Tucker and Danuel House may be the more notable free-agent signings, they were not the only moves Daryl Morey made in free agency. Shortly following the flurry of moves that were announced as free agency tipped off, another addition by the Philadelphia 76ers occurred. The Sixers welcomed the reigning G-League MVP to the team by adding Trevelin Queen.

Who is Trevelin Queen?

Every NBA player has a unique path that gets them to the league. For some, it is a straight path driven by freakish size and athleticism that separates them from their peers at an early age. For others, it is a winding path with plenty of hurdles and roadblocks along the way. For Trevelin Queen, it was certainly the ladder.

Originally born in Maryland, Queen has traveled all over the country on his route to the NBA. The journey took him to multiple high schools and three different JUCO programs before eventually ending up at New Mexico State. He had no collegiate offers coming out of high school and a grim overall outlook on his NBA dream.

Things were not much easier off the court as Queen bounced around in a variety of subpar living situations. From staying in a two-bedroom apartment with 10+ teammates to crashing in a retirement home to sleeping in a car for stretches of time, the 25-year-old has seemingly been through it all. The rough circumstances never deterred him from his dream, and the desire he clearly possesses is obvious in his play.

What Queen brings to the 76ers

The New Mexico standout is far from just a feel-good story as he has some really desirable on-court traits. After going undrafted in 2020, Queen inked a training camp deal with the Rockets and eventually joined their G-League affiliate. During his first season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, he averaged 10 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.2 steals. The 6’6″ wing signed a training camp deal with the Lakers prior to last season, but this did not pan out either.

In his second year in the G-League, Queen really took his game to another level. During the regular season, he averaged 25.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 3.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. He led the entire G-League in steals and was fifth in the league in scoring. He was named to the All G-League First Team, All G-League Defensive First Team, and the G-League MVP. This also gives the Philadelphia 76ers two former G-League MVPs on the roster, as Paul Reed won the award the previous season.

The Delaware Blue Coats, the Philadelphia 76ers’ G League affiliate, are familiar with Queen as they matched up with the Rio Grande Vipers in the G-League Finals last year. In the three-game series, he averaged 34 points. Queen poured in 44 points in the second matchup, including shooting 7 of 12 on three-point attempts. It also is worth noting that he was ejected from the final championship matchup after stomping on the Blue Coats logo, which caused an altercation with Shaq Harrison and Myles Powell.

How his play will translate to the NBA level is still to be determined. His contract was upgraded to a two-way deal with the Rockets, but he logged a total of just 74 minutes in the NBA. It also is not certain he will stick with the Philadelphia 76ers as they currently have one too many players signed to the team, and the feeling is that Daryl Morey is not done making moves. The two-year contract he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers has a partial guarantee of approximately $300,000 for the upcoming season.

There should be reason for optimism in his ability to stick on the roster, however. His hard-nosed style of play and willingness to toss-up 10+ three-pointers will be welcomed on the current Sixers team. There has been so much talk about the lack of toughness and “dog mentality” that the Philadelphia 76ers possess, and these traits are personified in his game.

Queen has a complete style of play and can guard positions 1-4. His 6’6″ frame and 6’8″ wingspan is impactful at stripping the ball and getting in passing lanes, and he also possesses intriguing athleticism. He checks just about all the boxes teams look for when searching for a three-and-D prospect.

At 25 years old, he may be older than most teams would be hoping for the stage of his career he is in, but it is doubtful you will find a guy who wants it as bad as Queen. The urgency he plays with is evident in his play and will be impactful on the Philadelphia 76ers roster. It may not be a name that is known well at the moment but keep an eye on Trevelin Queen.