Lottery picks from 15 years apart will share the floor next season when Paul George and V.J. Edgecombe suit up for the Philadelphia 76ers.

While George has been around the block, Edgecombe is entering his rookie year in the league, and George was impressed with what he saw from the young guard during his lone performance in 2025 NBA Summer League.

Edgecombe tallied 28 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and two blocks against the Utah Jazz in the opener of the Salt Lake City Summer League. He also shot 48 percent from the floor and demonstrated an ability – and willingness – to be productive in the midrange game; something he didn’t do too much during his lone season at Baylor.

“I thought he looked good. I thought he looked good on both ends of the floor,” George said of Edgecombe on his podcast. “It’s dope to see the difference between college and the NBA with spacing because he was able to get to his middy. He was able to get to his space on the floor. He was spacing behind the 3-point line. He was attacking in transition. Like, there’s so much space for guys when you cross over from college to the NBA.”

After selecting Edgecombe with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said that he saw All-Star potential in the Bahamian product, and George agreed.

“I thought he put it all on display and showed flashes of stardom,” George added. “I love the poise and patience in the pick-and-roll. That’s not something that comes natural, especially, for young guys that aren’t point guards.”

George went on to compare his new teammate to a star player that Sixers fans are pretty familiar with.

“He got that dog in him. Watching him, it was like watching a young Jimmy [Butler],” George observed. “He moves like Jimmy. He kind of has that mid-range tenacity. He’s kind of got a lot of the Jimmy likeness to him, so he’s definitely going to be good.”

Butler became a fan favorite in Philadelphia during his brief tenure with the team. Some fans still haven’t completely gotten over his departure. Perhaps the addition of a younger, more athletic version in Edgecombe will help in that regard.

It was only Summer League, but in one performance Edgecombe provided fans in Philly – and his new teammates – something to be excited about.

Follow Michael Kaskey-Blomain on X @therealmikekb.