Rookie VJ Edgecombe Could have Real Impact on 76ers’ Season

The 76ers are in somewhat of a weird place currently.

In theory, the team should contend for an Eastern Conference playoff spot next season. They return a star trio in former MVP Joel Embiid, rising star Tyrese Maxey and longtime suave scorer Paul George, albeit one that hasn’t necessarily been heathy in recent years. The rest of the roster feels good enough to project well, too. They have proven veterans in Kyle Lowry, Kelly Oubre Jr., Eric Gordon, Andre Drummond and more, as well as a host of youngsters set to offer up impact in Jared McCain, Adem Bona and more.

Despite that, they were in the same spot last season, and finished as one of the league's worst teams.

That makes VJ Edgecombe, the team’s No. 3 pick at the 2025 NBA Draft, likely the most interesting and polarizing player on the team.

At around 6-foot-5, Edgecombe already offers an interesting archetype, using his dynamo athleticism to toe the line between guard and wing. His lone season at Baylor wasn’t perfect, but he more than showed off his talent, averaged 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals in leading them to a solid season and one postseason win.

There's a few key skills you can point to with Edgecombe, though he's mostly solid at morphing into whatever is needed, be it an on-ball scorer, off-ball threat, stingy defender or even play-maker in the full or half court.

He played in only one Summer League game in Las Vegas, but was able to offer up a glimpse of his talent level there, too, adding 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals despite poor shooting.

Edgecombe’s upcoming season is interesting on several fronts.

Having both the skills to potentially command the rock, or function as a roving wing defender, it’s not yet known what his primary focus will even be. The team already has proven talent, but leaning into developing Edgecombe’s offense certainly wouldn’t be seen as a bad move for Philadelphia.

If he were to start quicker than previously thought, the Sixers could start thinking of a future led by Maxey, McCain and Edgecombe solely.

If they truly do want to make a push for the postseason, allowing him to make plays in the open floor and jump lanes won’t be such a bad move either. And it's certainly possible he simply becomes talented additive in Year 1.

Where Edgecombe lands on the early-career success spectrum might directly affect the team’s path next season.