As the NBA buzzes about VJ Edgecombe, scouts weigh in on his potential: ‘He’s going to be good. He goes hard.’
The combo guard, who had already shown he can compete against high-level competition, is receiving comparisons to All-Stars. One Western Conference scout invoked Victor Oladipo.
It was just one game — a summer league exhibition at that — but VJ Edgecombe provided a glimpse of what could make him a solid addition to the 76ers.
It’s easy to become leery of performances from contests that aren’t remotely close to actual NBA competition. Yet Edgecombe showed a lot of positive signs while dominating the Utah Jazz in Saturday’s 93-89 loss in the Salt Lake City Summer League at Jon M. Huntsman Center.
The 6-foot-5, 180-pound combo guard already has shown that he can compete against high-level competition. The third pick in June’s NBA draft has produced in international competition as a member of the Bahamian national team and was a key player for an NCAA Tournament team at Baylor. So this matchup validated that he is a top-tier talent.
There’s also belief among NBA executives that his speed and athleticism will enable him to excel over time in the league.
“The floor is spaced out more,” an Eastern Conference executive said of Edgecombe. “He can play faster than he did in college. So it suits him as well. So he’s going to be good. He goes hard.”
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The 19-year-old finished with game highs of 28 points and 10 rebounds along with four assists and a team-high two blocks. Fifteen of his points came after intermission.
If there’s an area that needs improvement, it is his three-point shooting.
With the Sixers down, 92-89, Edgecombe missed a potential game-tying three-pointer with 7.9 seconds left. He also missed a 35-foot attempt in the closing second. For the game, Edgecombe made just 1 of 7 three-point attempts. But his long-range shooting struggles weren’t surprising.
Edgecombe and the Sixers know his three-point shot needs to improve for him to become a reliable offensive threat and expand his game.
The hope is that it’ll develop.
But the athleticism that made him a YouTube sensation was on full display. Edgecombe leaped over Jazz defenders. His speed and quickness enabled him to get a lot of wide-open shots.
“It was a great bump, but overall, we lost so …” he said of his debut. “That’s not the outcome we wanted, but overall, I feel like we are starting to figure some things out as a team. So heading into Vegas or the next game, we should be good.”
Edgecombe felt comfortable with his shot creation. His ability to constantly get open enabled him to take 27 shots from the floor.
Before the draft, Edgecombe told NBA teams that he saw himself as a point guard. He made strides in that area against the Jazz, which was important to him.
“It definitely is,” he said. “But I just want to be on the floor and impact any way I can.”
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At this stage of his career, Edgecombe might be better suited playing off the ball. But a Western Conference scout doesn’t have a problem with his desire to be a point guard.
The scout noted that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace shared point-guard duties for the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. He thinks Edgecombe can play that role.
The scout also pointed out that Jamal Murray is a point guard for the Denver Nuggets, and that De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper will share ballhandling duties for the San Antonio Spurs.
Nowadays, the scout said, teams aren’t running sets in which conventional point guards, like Hall of Famers Isiah Thomas and John Stockton, are needed. It’s about having guards who can penetrate and make athletic plays for themselves and others.
Edgecombe’s ability to do that is the reason one scout believes he is better than restricted free agent Quentin Grimes, who’s seeking $25 million per season.
One scout said Edgecombe can replicate what Grimes brings on the defensive end and compared the rookie to a young Victor Oladipo.
He noted how Oladipo worked on his shot and blossomed into a two-time All-Star before injuries set in. Edgecombe doesn’t strike the scout as someone who is complacent about his game.
The Sixers are being cautious with him, too.
Edgecombe sat out their other two games in Salt Lake City with a thumb contusion. The bruise is not considered serious. He was listed as day-to-day.
The Sixers will travel to Las Vegas on Wednesday to compete in the NBA 2K26 Summer League, which runs from Thursday through July 20. They’ll open NBA 2K26 play against the San Antonio Spurs at 10 p.m. Thursday at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center.
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Edgecombe’s availability for that game will be revealed soon. But the team is excited about adding him to a backcourt that already includes All-Star Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain in 2025-26. The Sixers also want to re-sign Grimes and are looking to emulate the success of the Thunder and Pacers, who utilize a lot of interchangeable guards.
The biggest question regarding that tactic: How will playing up-tempo with smaller guards mesh with Joel Embiid?
The center is coming off his second left knee surgery in 14 months and third in nine seasons. When he’s healthy, the ball usually runs through the 7-2, 280-pounder.
But for now, the focus is on Edgecombe’s talent. And he’s proving he was worth the No. 3 pick.