The Philadelphia 76ers are in the middle of doing their due diligence as they prepare for the 2025 NBA draft. After a tough 2024-25 season, leading to the No. 3 pick in the lottery, the Sixers will be looking to add a young piece to a roster in need of an injection of youth.
With that top 3 selection, the Sixers will have plenty of options to turn to. They can go after Rutgers star Ace Bailey, Texas’ Tre Johnson, or maybe even Duke’s Kon Knueppel. There is one option that may stand out and that is Baylor star VJ Edgecombe.
One has to wonder what Edgecombe’s NBA comp is ahead of the draft. Per ESPN’s draft preview, they compare the athletic forward to former All-Star Victor Oladipo on the high end and current Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey on the low end:
Getting him the reps he needs to make that leap will be step one wherever he lands, but the downhill, hyperathletic slashing mold he fits makes Oladipo a valid point of comparison. It took Oladipo time to settle in in the NBA, and he broke out fully in his fifth season (2017-18) before a 2019 knee injury derailed his career. There are some similarities in their styles of play and trajectories entering the league, including the need to develop a more consistent outside shot and flesh out their ability to create offense while handling the ball.
The Ivey comparison is a little tricky because the Detroit Pistons guard is still developing in his own right, but things started to click for him this past season before an injury in January. Slashing guards in this mold who have to learn to make good decisions with the ball often take time to find success.
Edgecombe averaged 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and a gaudy 2.1 steals as a freshman with the Bears. He is a slashing guard who can make plays for others and has shown the potential to be a defensive menace on the floor. One has to wonder how he will pan out in the league, but he has some good potential to be a star long term.
#Sixers #prospect #Edgecombes #NBA #comp #ahead #draft
