Regardless of how the 2025-26 season ends for the Philadelphia 76ers, they can feel good about one thing: Knowing that they absolutely nailed their pick of V.J. Edgecombe in last year’s NBA Draft.
The Sixers selected Edgecombe with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, and the Baylor product has lived up to any and every expectation that the organization could have had for him.
He was recently named a finalist for the Rookie of the Year Award after starting in 75 games for the Sixers and averaging 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals per performance.
The fact that Edgecombe was able to immediately step into a starting spot on a playoff team and provide steady two-way production throughout the entire season is even more impressive than just his raw statists, which are indeed impressive.
Philadelphia 76ers’ Rookie Class Receives an ‘A’ Grade for 2025-26 NBA Season
Given Edgecombe’s impressive output, it should come as no surprise that Philadelphia’s 2025 rookie class received a great grade. The class was given an ‘A’ by Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz, who graded the rookie class of every team in the league.
“Kon Knueppel may have had the better rookie season, although the Philadelphia 76ers should still be happy with their decision to take VJ Edgecombe at No. 3 overall. During a season that was once again decimated by injuries (and a suspension), Edgecombe was remarkably durable, playing in 75 games (all starts),” Swartz wrote.
“The super-athletic 20-year-old finished third among all rookies in scoring (16.0 points per game), seventh in rebounds (5.6), third in assists (4.2) and first in steals (1.4). Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey are already one of the best and most exciting backcourts in the NBA.”
The strong grade for Philadelphia’s draft class was completely based on Edgecombe’s solid play. The Sixers’ only other draft pick from last summer was big man Johni Broome, who the team selected in the second round. Broome was a non-factor for Philadelphia throughout the season as he played just 55 total minutes across 11 appearances.
V.J. Edgecombe Faces Stiff Rookie of the Year Competition
If Edgecombe ultimately wins the Rookie of the Year award, he would be just the fourth player in Sixers franchise history to do so and the first since Ben Simmons during the 2016-17 season. The other two Sixers players to win the award were Michael Carter-Williams (2014) and Allen Iverson (1997).
He has some stiff competition for the award though, as Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks and Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets are the other finalists, and both have authored stellar rookie campaigns of their own.
Flagg lived up to the hype of being one of the most highly-touted top picks in recent memory, while Knueppel broke numerous rookie shooting records, including making the most triples for a rookie in NBA history. He also broke Charlotte’s single-season record for made 3-pointers and he led the entire league in made shots from long range.
All three players are deserving of the hardware, and all three appear poised for extremely productive careers. So even if Edgecombe doesn’t win the award, the Sixers should still feel great about their decision to draft him last June.
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