Mar 23, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Baylor Bears guard VJ Edgecombe (7) reacts after a play as Duke Blue Devils center Khaman Maluach (9) looks on during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Sixers Rookie VJ Edgecombe Slighted in NBA Offseason Poll

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 10:58 AM ET

In a shocking turn of events, the Philadelphia 76ers' most notable addition came via the NBA Draft. While they nabbed a prospect with high upside, VJ Edgecombe has gotten overlooked as he gets ready to start his pro career.

During a season full of unfortunate injury luck, the pendulum shifted for the Sixers in the draft lottery. Not only did they not hand over their pick to the OKC Thunder, but they jumped up from No. 5 to No. 3.

The third pick was the most interesting in the 2025 draft, as there were countless prospects worthy of being taken there. Daryl Morey and company eventually settled on Edgecombe, who was a standout for Baylor as a freshman.

Edgecombe, a hyper-athletic 6-foot-5 guard, will add to the exciting influx of youth on the Sixers' roster. During his lone college season, he averaged 15.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 3.2 APG.

Landing with the Sixers, Edgecombe finds himself on a rare journey for a former lottery pick. Instead of having time to grow on a rebuilding team, he joins a roster loaded with numerous All-Stars who have aspirations of making a deep run.

Amid these circumstances, Edgecombe will attempt to provide a boost for the Sixers from day one.

Coming out of the draft, Edgecombe was viewed as one of the top prospects. However, personnel across the league have begun to overlook him as he embarks on his journey with the Sixers.

Earlier this week, ESPN's Tim Bontemps put out the results of his offseason poll involving a mix of coaches, executives, and scouts. When asked who will win Rookie of the Year, almost every person went with Cooper Flagg. Another rookie received one vote, but it was sharpshooting forward Kon Knueppel.

The follow-up question to that was which member of the 2025 class will be the best in five years. More prospects were tossed out in this instance, but Edgecombe did not get a mention. Flagg once again had the majority of votes, with some pollers also going with Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey.

Having a limited role on the Sixers hurts Edgecombe's case slightly when it comes to ROY. Nonetheless, he still has a chance to emerge as one of the top talents of his draft class. One key factor in his development will be being surrounded by All-Stars who can take him under their wing.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia 76ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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