NEW YORK — The Philadelphia 76ers selected Baylor freshman guard VJ Edgecombe with the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.
The 19-year-old Edgecombe had an outstanding season for the Bears, averaging 15 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
Edgecombe is the fifth lottery pick in Baylor history, joining Ekpe Udoh (2010), Taurean Prince (2016), Davion Mitchell (2021), and Jeremy Sochan (2022).
Edgecombe should have help around him to get through the growing pains of a rookie season with Paul George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey under contract for multiple years. The Sixers hit rock bottom last season, finishing last in the Atlantic Division at 24-58, with Embiid being ruled out in February due to continuing issues with his knee and George missing the last six weeks of the year due to injuries to his left adductor muscle and left knee.
What VJ Edgecombe brings to the table
The first thing you notice about Edgecombe is his supreme athleticism and a strong, NBA-ready frame. That means he will put a lot of players on a poster with his jumping ability and can use his quickness to be a pest on the defensive end.
Edgecombe, who is from the Bahamas, more than held his own when he played for his country’s national team at the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, with a roster that had Eric Gordon, DeAndre Ayton, and Buddy Hield on it.
The shooting touch will need to come along, but with his form, that shouldn’t be a problem. If he struggles early, Edgecombe will find ways to fill up the stat sheet. That’s where you see comparisons to Russell Westbrook, who was erratic with his shooting early in his career but was a triple-double machine who helped his team win. What Edgecombe is not is a point guard who can run a team, so expect his time handling the ball to be exclusively in the frontcourt. The bottom line is that the talent is there to become a household name and multiple-year All-Star, perhaps if the chips fall right.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where did VJ Edgecombe get drafted? 76ers take Baylor guard at No. 3