Sixers select VJ Edgecombe with the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NBA draft
While there were rumors about the Sixers moving out of the pick, they decided to stand pat and made the safe pick and went with Edgecombe with the selection.
NEW YORK — The 76ers stayed put at No. 3 in the NBA draft on Wednesday night, using the third pick to select Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe.
This came after Ace Bailey, regarded as the best player available, backed out of last week’s meeting and workout at the team’s practice facility. The Sixers had been expected to aggressively shop the selection and move back in the draft.
However, they instead selected Edgecombe after Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper were drafted by the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, respectively, with the Nos. 1 and 2 picks. The Sixers are also scheduled to select fifth (35th overall) in Thursday’s second round.
“Emotions are flying,” said Edgecombe, who was in tears after his name was called. “I came from a small island [Bimini, Bahamas]. It’s only seven miles long. So everybody knows everybody. It’s just literally a small island. It’s like a little rock. So me to make it out of there, man, means the world to me and I know it means the world to my Island.”
The 19-year-old became the fourth guard drafted and kept by the Sixers in recent years, starting with Tyrese Maxey joining the franchise as the 21st pick in 2020. The following year, the Sixers selected Jaden Springer at No. 28. And they chose Jared McCain with the 16th pick last summer.
The Sixers selected power forward David Roddy at No. 23 in 2022 before immediately shipping him to the Memphis Grizzlies. They didn’t have any draft picks in 2023.
While Springer is no longer a Sixer, Edgecombe enters a crowded backcourt.
» READ MORE: Five things to know about VJ Edgecombe, from playing barefoot in the Bahamas to a walking highlight reel
Kelly Oubre Jr. and Eric Gordon are expected to pick up their player options before Sunday’s deadline. And the team wants to re-sign Quentin Grimes, who will become a restricted free agent on Monday.
One has to wonder how the drafting of Edgecombe will impact that.
“I really like how things are shaping up,” Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said of the crowded backcourt. “I think we’ll have one of the best backcourts in the league, with Grimes, Maxey, Jared McCain and now VJ.
“With the way the NBA’s going, I think you saw some of these teams playing dynamic, uptempo with multiple guards that put the defense in jeopardy.”
But on Wednesday, Edgecombe wasn’t focused on where he fits in the rotation.
He was just looking forward to going to Philly, meeting his teammates and getting ready for summer league and training camp.
“It would mean a lot to win [an NBA title],” he said. “It’s been a minute since they won. So just going there and being that piece that’s going to help them get over the hump would mean a lot to me. It would mean a lot to the fans, the owners.
“So I’m excited to go there and see what we will do.”
He became the first player the Sixers selected at No. 3 since Jahlil Okafor in 2015. Edgecombe is also the third member of the Bahamian national team to become a Sixer in recent seasons, joining Gordon and Buddy Hield. Hield, a close friend who was at the draft, played 32 games with the Sixers two seasons ago.
Edgecombe is elated for the opportunity to play against Hield in the NBA.
“It feels good,” he said. “I tell Buddy that I’m better than him.”
» READ MORE: A tender moment amidst a mom’s tears shows Sixers got more than a game-changing athlete in VJ Edgecombe
But he also carries a lot of Bimini pride and wants to make his country proud.
“I don’t think anyone on that island would dream of playing in the NBA, [let alone] making it,” said Edgecombe, who had pictures of his youthful self, his mother, grandmother, brothers, cousins, late coach and friends inside the lining of his blazer. “It would just sound so crazy, being able to make it. I’m just truly blessed to be in that position.”
Edgecombe also said he thought he’d fit in nicely alongside the team’s Big Three of Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George.
“I feel like I’ll be able to play off them,” he said Tuesday. “They’re great players. Embiid is the MVP of the league. … I just feel like I fit in well with them. And even coach [Nick] Nurse. He’s a defensive-minded coach. And I feel like I play a lot of defense.”
Edgecombe has solid defensive instincts and is a highlight waiting to happen. The 6-foot-4, 193-pounder is known for his scoring ability — especially in transition and at the rim. He also possesses solid playmaking skills.
He averaged 15 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists last season at Baylor. If there’s a weakness, the 19-year-old’s struggles with shot creation stand out. If he develops a shot, Edgecombe could be a solid shooting guard on the next level.
Morey believes Edgecombe has a good floor and a high ceiling as a player.
“He has a nice combination of both,” he said. “I would ask our fanbase … early returns can get magnified. I do think it’s hard. This is a man’s league. And he’s strong and physical. So I think he’ll adjust quicker than most draft picks, but they take a little time sometimes.
“But we’re very excited about him.”
Meanwhile, Bailey was drafted fifth by the Utah Jazz. Morey downplayed his canceled workout, saying it didn’t influence the Sixers draft selection.
» READ MORE: Eric Dixon has done all the work. Now, in the NBA draft, it’s time to ‘let the chips fall.’
“It was pretty opaque,” Morey said. “I spoke to the agent. So did [general manager] Elton [Brand], so did [executive] Prosper [Karangwa], so did a lot of the key folks on our team. He didn’t work out with anybody, so that was just their general plan. I don’t try to judge. They were doing what they thought was best for him, we were doing what was best for us. It had no impact on the decision.”
Bailey, a 6-8 wing player, had the highest upside in the draft. League sources said the 18-year-old has Hall of Fame potential.
But Morey is excited to add Edgecombe.
“He’s a dynamic athlete, potential All-Star, two-way player,” Morey said. “Really helped his team. He’s got all these winning qualities that we think fit. Great teammate. His story and what he has done to get to this point is really unbelievable.
We think he’s on a great trajectory to take where he’s come from and continue to improve … all the way through a very long and very promising NBA career. And we’re excited it’s here with the 76ers.”