Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe is looking to start his NBA career off on the right foot in the 2025-26 season. The No. 3 overall pick in the draft is heading into a terrific situation as he can learn from top talents such as Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey.
The Sixers are in a unique position as a team that can contend for a title in the upcoming season despite finishing 24-58 the season before. If this team is healthy–which is, of course, a big if–then they can compete with anybody in the Eastern Conference and move past Round 2 for the first time since 2001.
George believes Edgecombe is a great fit for the Sixers as he told his rookie teammate on the latest episode of “Podcast P with Paul George”:
I think that’s what we need. You bring what we need. We need more defenders. We need athleticism. We need flyers. We want to play that fast, up tempo style of basketball. So we need that. You know what I mean? I think you, you’re ready. Like, you’re play now, ready now basketball, so you’re gonna fit right in with what we doing. We got a bunch of talent. You got youth with you, Tyrese, Jared (McCain), Justin (Edwards), Kelly’s (Oubre Jr.) still young. So we still got fresh young legs. There’s only a couple old (expletives) on the team. So you bring an element that we need, though, and as a rookie, don’t come in on some ‘I just want to fit in.’ Like, bring what you do. Be you. Be you. We gonna adapt to you.
Edgecombe showed off what he can do in his brief summer league appearances. He was limited to only two games in the summer league due to a sprained left thumb, but the young guard showed off his electric style of play on both ends of the floor. The Sixers have been in need of a guard who can produce on both ends and he fits that bill. As long as George, Embiid, and Maxey are healthy, Edgecombe and the Sixers can make a splash in the coming season.