Official 2k26 Summer League play starts on Thursday, July 10. However, there are earlier summer league events like the California Classic and Salt Lake City. 

This past weekend, the Sixers’ summer league squad was in Utah to face the Jazz. In the 2025 NBA draft, the 76ers passed on Ace Bailey with the third overall pick and selected Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe. Despite Philly losing 93-89, Edgecombe was the most talented player in the game. He finished his summer league debut with 28 points, and the 19-year-old has high expectations for the 2025-26 season.

How effective can VJ Edgecombe be for the Sixers as a rookie?

VJ Edgecombe dazzled in his #NBASummer debut for the @sixers!

🔔 28 points
🔔 10 rebounds
🔔 4 assists
🔔 2 blocks pic.twitter.com/sqLlfmuIWA

— NBA (@NBA) July 6, 2025

During the 2024-25 men’s collegiate basketball season, the top three players in the 2025 draft class were consensus. Cooper Flagg was #1, followed by Rutgers’ Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. However, Bailey did not meet with any teams pre-draft and canceled his one and only meeting with the Sixers. This rubbed teams the wrong way, especially the 76ers. That’s why they passed on Ace Bailey and drafted VJ Edgecombe.

This past Saturday, Edgecombe had his first chance to suit up for Philadelphia. Their summer league squad was in Utah to face the Jazz. VJ Edgecombe finished with a team-high 28 points and was 13-27 shooting. Despite going 1-7 from beyond the arc, Edgecombe looked comfortable when under pressure. The 19-year-old got to his spots and did his best to will the Sixers to a win. Along with his 28 points, Edgecombe had 10 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.

The No. 3 and No. 5 picks faced off in SL debuts 👀

VJ Edgecombe: 28 PTS, 13-27 FG, 10 REB, 4 AST, 2 BLK
Ace Bailey: 8 PTS, 3-13 FG, 7 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK pic.twitter.com/wQ6yvAzNMX

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 6, 2025

Even with a loss, Edgecombe had an impressive summer league debut for the 76ers. He leaves the team with tough roster decisions ahead of the 2025-26 season. If he continues to shine during the offseason, it will be hard for the team to leave him out of the starting five. Edgecombe could be batting Jared McCain for the starting SG spot ahead of next season. McCain had a strong rookie campaign until he suffered a season-ending knee injury.

If Philadelphia is looking to maximize size in their starting five, VJ Edgecombe would be the answer. He is two inches taller than Jared McCain and has seven more inches on his vertical jump. Edgecombe is known for finishing near the rim and is a high-flyer. Jared McCain shot an impressive .383% from beyond the arc last season in 23 games. McCain has more consistently from deep than Edgecombe. What will the Sixers prioritize ahead of the 2025-26 season?

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