VJ Edgecombe's All-Rookie Nod Is the First of Many NBA Accolades to Come

Edgecombe figures to work his way into the All-Star conversation in the coming years, and he might not be done there.

Apr 12, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe (77) controls the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks in the fourth quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

To absolutely no one's surprise, Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe was named to the NBA's All-Rookie first team on Tuesday night. Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel, San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper and Memphis Grizzlies wing Cedric Coward rounded out the rest of the first team.

The 2025-26 Kia NBA All-Rookie First Team:

▪️Cedric Coward, @memgrizz
▪️VJ Edgecombe, @sixers
▪️Cooper Flagg, @dallasmavs
▪️Dylan Harper, @spurs
▪️Kon Knueppel, @hornets pic.twitter.com/O0LvrUuaXS

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 20, 2026

Edgecombe finished as a distant third behind Flagg and Knueppel in the Rookie of the Year race after averaging 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.0 made three-pointers and 1.4 steals during his debut NBA campaign. Although his long-range efficiency dropped off in the playoffs, he proved to be well ahead of expectations as a rookie overall.

As a result, Edgecombe's All-Rookie nod should wind up being the first of many accolades that he earns throughout his NBA career.

All-NBA backcourt?

The NBA is set to reveal its All-NBA teams Sunday. Edgecombe's backcourt partner, Tyrese Maxey, is widely expected to make the cut.

It might not be long before Edgecombe joins him in the All-Star and All-NBA conversation.

"Coming into next year, a team won't ever leave me open," Edgecombe said at his end-of-season media availability. "Like even during the regular season, I was shooting the ball pretty well. Then the playoffs come, and it's a different vibe. Intensity's higher. Closeouts are a lot quicker."

"I'm gonna work, gonna work, gonna work. I'm gonna do whatever I've gotta do to get better."

Coming into the NBA, there were concerns about Edgecombe's ball-handling ability and his pull-up shooting. He drastically improved at both throughout the season, although there's still plenty of room for growth.

As Edgecombe noted, he needs to continue developing as a three-point shooter as well. After knocking down 35.4% of his 5.6 long-range attempts per game during the regular season, he shot only 29.2% on 6.5 three-point attempts per game in the playoffs. Both the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks routinely left him open from deep to send additional defensive help at Tyrese Maxey or Joel Embiid.

Maxey has zero doubt that Edgecombe will come back next year vastly improved.

"I'm happy to be someone who can help him," he said during his end-of-season media availability (while sitting right next to Edgecombe). "And another thing is, I'm just gonna push him to be as good as possibly can be. 'Cause there's a lot more left in that tank that we're gonna get out of him. And he's someone that it's not gonna take much. You ain't gotta push his buttons much. He works too hard. He wants it too much."

Maxey described Edgecombe as "exceptional" and said he had a "hell of a rookie season" before backtracking and adding, " Not even just a rookie season, hell of a season. Lot of guys in the NBA would wish they had a season like him."

He wasn't the only Sixers player to shower Edgecombe with praise during exit interviews, either.

"Philly got a good one in him," Embiid told reporters. "He's the guy. I'm telling you guys, that guy is something different. This was only year one. Year two is gonna be better, year three, even better. He has the chance to be extremely special."

Edgecombe not only boasts the two-way upside of a budding star, but he also appears to be wired the right way. Not every star needs to be homicidally competitive like Kobe Bryant or Victor Wembanyama; they just need to have the work ethic to put in the hours when no one's watching. (Not just for shirtless Instagram workout videos.)

As Maxey said—and as other Sixers have noted all year—Edgecombe is that type of player. There are zero concerns about him not continuing to work on his game throughout the offseason and come back better next season.

"The sky is the limit," Maxey told reporters. "The future's bright. I know two or three years ago, I sat up here with Joel and sat up here with James [Harden], and they saw something in me. And I guess I'm getting old now, 'cause I'm sitting up here with VJ…"

He trailed off from there. What was left unsaid was self-explanatory.

Edgecombe's All-Rookie nod is a great accomplishment. As long as he stays healthy, it should be the first of many throughout his NBA career.

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Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

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