NBA Draft Expert Endorses New Surging Prospect for 76ers

VJ Edgecombe's name is surging for the Philadelphia 76ers, and another draft expert is buying in on the hype.

Mar 13, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Baylor Bears guard VJ Edgecombe (7) drives to the basket around Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Elijah Hawkins (3) during the second half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Once the Philadelphia 76ers were awarded the third pick in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, fans spent weeks looking at mock drafts that featured analysts predicting an Ace Bailey-Sixers pairing.

These days, that narrative is no longer alive and well. Instead, the Sixers are rumored to have a ton of interest in the Baylor guard, VJ Edgecombe.

At this point in the pre-draft process, ESPN believes that Edgecombe to the Sixers could be the pick.

“Edgecombe takes over this spot from Ace Bailey in ESPN's mock draft after a positive visit to Philadelphia, where sources say he made a strong impression in a private workout as well as in meetings with the front office and ownership. He appears to be ‘the leader in the clubhouse’ currently,” wrote ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

The 2025 NBA draft is EIGHT DAYS AWAY 👀 @DraftExpress and @JeremyWoo have the very latest mock draft ⤵️ https://t.co/DC1ThH3PQn

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 17, 2025

After last week’s wave of reports regarding the Sixers and the No. 3 overall pick, none of the recent Edgecombe smoke comes as a surprise. While not all meetings are made public, it seems that Edgecombe’s meeting with the Sixers is the only one worth talking about at this point.

The personality seemingly checks out for Philadelphia. Scouts and analysts knew that Edgecombe’s on-court work is up there with the best of them as well, hence the reason why he’s been a consensus top-five prospect for months.

In 33 games at Baylor, Edgecombe averaged 15 points on 44 percent shooting from the field. He attempted seven shots per game inside the arc, making 50 percent of his twos. From three, Edgecombe averaged nearly five attempts per game, knocking down 34 percent of his shots from deep.

Along with his scoring, Edgecombe averaged six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and nearly one block per game as a freshman. The 19-year-old is viewed as one of the better two-way guards in the draft.

Some might argue Ace Bailey’s ceiling might be higher, but many analysts have suggested that Edgecombe is more NBA-ready. The Sixers need a day-one rotational piece. If Edgecombe can fill that role, he just might be the pick on June 25.