V. J. Edgecombe Can Still Grow Despite Sixers’ Big Offseason Additions

In one offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers went from having too many holes to compete to not having enough for their players to breathe. Despite all the big moves, one returning player remains a key piece for Philly next year: V.J. Edgecombe.

Edgecombe showed signs of being a budding star last season. He helped ease concern for the team’s future after it traded Jared McCain. Now, many are asking how involved in that future he will be after Philly’s busy offseason. Will he be able to finish his bloom into a superstar, with seemingly little space around him to grow?

Overall, Sixers fans should not be concerned about Edgecombe’s future. Instead, he finds himself in a situation where he can still shine and develop.

The Big Additions Joining V.J. Edgecombe in Philly

The Sixers added plenty of new faces to the locker room this offseason to pair with V. J. Edgecombe and company.

Philadelphia brought in two big-time superstars to the franchise. It first traded for Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics, then signed LeBron James in free agency.

In addition to those deals, the Sixers drafted guard Labaron Philon Jr. and signed free agents Anfernee Simons, Dean Wade, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

In the backcourt, Philon and Simons will rotate with Edgecombe, Maxey, and likely LeBron when he comes in to play a hybrid point guard role.

Edgecombe Will Easily Adapt To Major Roster Moves

V. J. Edgecombe will be just fine in his growth as a young, up-and-coming player. Look no further than how he performed last season, his first, on a less talented roster.

Edgecombe put up impressive stats in 2025-26. He averaged 16 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He frequently played the role of being the first or second scoring option.

Meanwhile, an overlooked aspect of his stellar play as a rookie last year was his defense. He added nearly a steal and a half as well as half a block per game to his stat line. That was good enough to finish third in Rookie of the Year voting.

His high-energy defense can’t be captured with just steals and blocks. Edgecombe had 2.5 defensive win shares to his 1.9 earned from his offensive game, per Basketball-Reference. His defensive win share metric ranked second-best on last year’s Philly roster.

That matters heading into next season with a reduced offensive load.

The rookie entered the year with immense expectations as the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Those expectations only grew as the season progressed. He began his rookie campaign by breaking a record older than him: most points in the first quarter of an NBA debut. The previous record holder was Edgecombe’s new teammate: LeBron James.

Even while playing an astounding 35 minutes per game, he averaged only 1.8 turnovers throughout the season. Last season, he also notably ranked 181st in usage rate, behind players such as Naji Marshall and Jarace Walker.

It’s another reason why being surrounded by high-usage players will not stifle him or his growth. Edgecombe already proved he can make an impact without the ball in his hands.

The fact that he can produce a rookie season in that role hints he can still thrive in Philly’s revamped roster. It also suggests that next season’s usage rates won’t affect his productivity as much as some may say. Plus, he can still take over games when asked, and he will still get that opportunity at times next season.

Pressure has never fazed Edgecombe.

The then-rookie delivered a game-winning putback against the Warriors, sank a clutch three-pointer in overtime to beat Memphis, and hit a clinching step-back mid-range shot in the Rising Stars game en route to winning MVP.

Those plays showcased not only his clutch and fearless streak, but also his growing three-level scoring. He was impressive in the playoffs, playing in a similar role with a similar usage rate: 20% in the regular season compared to 19% in the postseason.

And while Edgecombe’s efficiency dipped during the playoffs, his energy, defense, and big-play tendency showed on the biggest stage.

What Does Edgecombe’s Upcoming Role Look Like?

Heading into next season, V.J. Edgecombe’s position is not exactly cemented with all these new additions. He will be looking for a sophomore leap in skill and game IQ. That said, he likely won’t have a high usage rate or many looks at the basket.

One of Edgecombe’s more noticeable areas for improvement is his ability to create an on-ball shot. He can do it well and has many highlights doing so. However, he can occasionally be off tempo, too sped up, or too one-dimensional in his shot/space creation.

Hopefully, with a more limited on-ball role, he continues to thrive off-ball and cutting like he did last year, while developing more refined counters and inner tempo when asked to be on-ball.

Many have expressed concerns about his lack of on-ball activity next year due to additions like Brown and LeBron. One of those many is Draymond Green.

“V.J. Edgecombe, you’ve now got to guard the No. 1 best guard, like, every night. That’s your responsibility. So… that’s going to require some sacrifice. That’s going to require some ‘buy-in’ from the young fella,” he said recently on The Draymond Green Show.

“Young fella had a great rookie year. He’s coming back into his second year thinking, like, ‘Yo, this is my chance to take that jump.’ He’s going to be a fifth option,” Green continued. “If you look at the biggest losers in this situation, it’s arguably V.J. Edgecombe.”

Another voice chiming into the chorus of doubt is Kwame Brown. Like Green, Kwame thinks Edgecombe is the ultimate loser of the newly assembled Sixers team.

“If I’m VJ Edgecombe, and I had the rookie season I had. I wouldn’t give a Jiminy Cricket that you’re bringing in a 41- or 42-year-old man that’s talking about legacy,” Brown said. “I’m thinking about my legacy… why do I have to stunt my growth?”

On the flip side, there’s Tyrese Maxey, another of Edgecombe’s teammates with good perspective. Maxey made sure to bring up Edgecombe and his current situation during a recent interview.

“People say VJ gonna sacrifice a lot,” Maxey said. “I was in this kind, same kind of predicament my second year when James [Harden] came on the team.”

“I was happy, of course, but I was like, dang, what does that mean for me. “Him [Harden] and Joel, as soon as James got there, he pulled me to the side {to say}, ‘don’t think this changes anything for you’. That’s what we’re going to do to VJ,” he continued.