The Philadelphia 76ers will head into the 2025-26 NBA season with a point to prove. Nick Nurse’s team missed the playoffs last time around, primarily due to injury issues that swept through the roster. Of course, they will also be buoyed by the addition of VJ Edgecombe out of Baylor. The third overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft will undoubtedly have a role to play, most likely off the bench.
Still, Sixers fans will have high hopes for Edgecombe. He’s expected to have All-Star upside, and potentially be a long-term cornerstone for the franchise along with Tyrese Maxey. It would also appear that some league experts are expecting big things from him, too. According to a recent poll among ESPN staff, Edgecombe is a top-three candidate to secure the 2026 Rookie of the Year award.
“Harper and Edgecombe finished second and third, and both players can be highly impactful as rookies,” ESPN’s Jeremy Woo wrote. “The question in both instances will be how big a role they can carve out in their respective crowded backcourts, and whether that leads to a big enough platform to mount a case for Rookie of the Year honors.”
As you would expect, Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper are first and second in the voting. Nevertheless, Edgecombe is expected to translate his high draft status into impressive on-court production. Therefore, Sixers fans should be excited about the season to come, especially if Edgecombe is provided with the playing time and role to ensure he can play through his mistakes and develop on the fly.
Edgecombe may not be the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award, but he certainly has a chance to announce his arrival in the NBA and ensure people sit up and take notice.