The Sixers believe VJ Edgecombe has a high ceiling. Just as important, they believe he has the mindset to reach that ceiling.
The Bahamas aren’t exactly a hotbed for finding NBA talent. Only three players actually born in the Bahamas were in the league last season.
That number will increase next season once VJ Edgecombe takes the court. The Baylor product was selected third overall by the Sixers Wednesday in the 2025 NBA Draft. While his talent and freakish athleticism are undeniable, his work ethic and effort level have also always stood out.
According to Edgecombe, that’s a product of where he was born.
“I know that my path is a little different from everyone else,” he said in his first availability with Philly media. “I had to work a little harder, especially being from the Bahamas. There ain’t no opportunities. There ain’t nobody watching you play. No coaches come to the Bahamas to, ‘Let me go recruit this kid for D1.’”
Edgecombe grew up in Bimini, which is a small chain of islands on the most western part of the Bahamas. He said he grew up on an island that was seven miles long and everybody knew everybody. There were struggles. His mom, Bendra, worked hard to put food on the table. His family lived off a generator for years because they didn’t have electricity. It’s easy to see how his upbringing has molded him into the person and player he’s become.
“I just want to take care of my mom, my little siblings that look up to me,” he said.
It’s that mentality that made Daryl Morey and his front office feel confident Edgecombe was their guy at third overall. There were reports the team looked into trading to No. 2 for Rutgers’ Dylan Harper. Other reports said they were open to moving back.
In the end, they simply took Edgecombe, a player with one of the highest floors in the draft who still has a rather high ceiling. They’re banking on the 19-year-old showing off the character traits that make him a safe pick while getting the most out of his incredible physical gifts.
“We’ve been fortunate that you can get a guy with talent already playing at a high level at Baylor,” Morey said, “and then also has just not only a hopeful work ethic, but one you can see if you track back to the Bahamas and you track back through his pre-Baylor period all the way through.”
In the aftermath of the drama surrounding the unceremonious departures of Ben Simmons and James Harden, guys like Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain have breathed new life into the franchise. Both come to work with a smile every day and set a high standard for their teammates.
Edgecombe, who seemingly didn’t stop smiling from the moment he arrived for the draft at the Barclays Center and through his first media availability, fits right into that mix. He came from humble beginnings. As his mother said during an interview with ESPN after her son was selected, “We came from nothing, into everything” as she wiped away tears.
Because of this, the hyper-athletic guard plays with a serious edge. He guards like his life depends on it (“I hate to see other people score,” he repeated four times about his defensive mentality). He hustles for loose balls, he rebounds, runs hard in transition — for a prospect drafted so high and with star potential, he’s unafraid of the dirty work.
Edgecombe is sort of the perfect player for the team’s dreaded dual timeline. He can do the little things to help the Sixers compete now, but he has the potential to play a huge role in the future.
And his mentality will only help strengthen the franchise’s culture.
“I feel like if you love the game, if you love something, you’re gonna put time into it,” Edgecombe said. “I just always want to give love to the game … by just working. And the game has blessed with me with so much things in life, so why not put time into it?”
Over the summer before his freshman season, Edgecombe got to represent his home country for the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament. He played alongside former Sixer Buddy Hield, who was at the draft with Edgecombe, and DeAndre Ayton of the Portland Trail Blazers. Also on that team was current Sixer Eric Gordon. Gordon wasn’t born in the Bahamas but his mother was and he started playing for the national team in 2023.
Edgecombe talked about Hield and Gordon’s influence — while making fun of the latter’s age. As he enters his rookie year, Edgecombe seems coachable. He’s a player who wants to get better and is willing learner.
While he might’ve poked fun at Gordon’s age, he respects the career the veteran’s had and wants the same for himself.
“They helped me so much,” Edgecombe said. “[To have somebody] I already know on the team that can help me in ways of just longevity or how to play a role — just teach me life on and off the court.”
Edgecombe’s floor is high because he’s humble and works hard. His ceiling is high because of his immense athletic gifts. It’s a big reason Edgecombe is a Sixer.
After all, what good is having potential if you don’t have the drive to fully realize it?
“Where we can get more confidence that a player has two things,” Morey said, “which is they understand that they’re not where they need to be, they understand they’re not yet [an All-Star guard] in the league, and then they have the work ethic to close that gap. If a player has that, that’s very interesting to us, generally.”
If Edgecombe becomes the player the Sixers believe he can be, scouts might have to pay a little more attention to the Bahamas.