The Philadelphia 76ers had an up-and-down regular season in 2025, but the future of the franchise looks a whole lot brighter after a playoff upset of the Boston Celtics.
Sure, getting Joel Embiid back and healthy for that series against the Celtics was a major key, and it may have been what pushed the Sixers over the top in that series. But the performance from the young backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe is what should really have Philly fans excited about this core moving forward.
Edgecombe was just a rookie in 2025-26, but he is already earning future star shouts from around the league. On The Bill Simmons Podcast recently, former 76ers head coach pointed out Edgecombe as a future star in the league.
Who is the next up and coming young star in the NBA?
@DocRivers on why he's high on the likes of V.J. Edgecombe, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle. pic.twitter.com/ypK1dNWkZn
— The Ringer (@ringer) June 17, 2026
“Edgecombe has a chance to be really good,” Rivers said. “Cause he has the makeup, and I think having Maxey around him.”
He went on to add why he thinks Edgecombe can be such a good player in the very near future.
“His edge,” Rivers added. “I don’t know how good he’ll be offensively — he’s ahead of where I thought he was already — but he’s gonna be an elite defensive player in the NBA. Elite. That’s coming.”
Edgecombe’s defense is one of the best things about his game at this point in his career, but he can still get a lot better at it. The Baylor product still needs to add size and improve off the ball, but he has all of the physical tools to be a menace on the defensive end.
The offensive end is a bit more uneven for Edgecombe, but he has already taken multiple huge strides from his college days. He shot more than 35% from 3-point range on 5.6 attempts per game, which is a significant increase from his Baylor days. He is already a monster in transition, and now the half court game is coming around.
Edgecombe didn’t win Rookie of the Year in 2025-26, but it’s crystal clear that he is one of the top young players to watch coming into next season.
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