76ers take Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe with No. 3 pick in the NBA draft

By Canadian Press on June 25, 2025.

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — In win-now mode, Philadelphia selected Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe with the No. 3 overall pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday night to add their trio of oft-injured All-Stars the team hopes can return to form and make the 76ers a healthy title contender.

The 6-4, 193-pound Edgecombe boasts explosive athleticism that stands out at both ends, notably as an above-the-rim finisher who creates highlight-reel moments.

The 19-year-old Edgecombe could be a rookie of the year contender or a rotation player, and his numbers next season won’t matter much if two-time NBA scoring champion Joel Embiid can’t make a successful return from knee surgery. Embiid had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April and the Sixers had yet to update his condition before the draft.

Former All-Stars and Paul George and Tyrese Maxey slogged through injury-plagued season as the 76ers — a franchise with perennial NBA championship aspirations — finished with a woeful 24-58 record that included a 5-31 stretch to close the season.

Team President Daryl Morey said he would spend the summer trying make the roster younger and more athletic to potentially help the team fight off the rash of injuries that wrecked the season and provide a bit of a cushion if the core trio are sidelined again for long stretches.

He starts with Edgecome, picked over Rutgers star Ace Bailey, who canceled a pre-draft workout with the 76ers.

Edgecombe finished in the draft combine’s top 10 with a 38.5-inch max vertical leap, had seven games with at least three made 3s and 11 games with three-plus steals. He shot just 34% on 3s and made just 25% (13 of 59) in off-dribble jumpers, according to Synergy’s analytics rankings.

Edgecombe grew up in the Bahamas. And now, he’s a guaranteed millionaire.

“We came from nothing. We’re truly blessed just to be in this position,” Edgecombe said after he was drafted.

Embiid, Maxey and George played all of 15 games together this season and the trio played a combined 119 games. Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP, played only 19 games.

Morey said in April all three should be back at “100%” by training camp.

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Dan Gelston, The Associated Press