The Philadelphia 76ers have a ton of talent on the roster heading into the 2026-27 NBA season. There’s no denying that. Their roster includes multiple Finals MVPs, multiple regular season MVPs and a plethora of All-Stars.
But, what will the pecking order look like for the Sixers? That’s one of the biggest questions facing Philadelphia heading into the season.
VJ Edgecombe Predicted to be 76ers’ Second-Best Player Next Season
Of all of the players in Philadelphia’s projected first five, second-year guard VJ Edgecombe is the least experienced and accomplished, by far, but he could be poised for a major breakout in his sophomore season, as playing alongside such immense talent could help to open things up for him in a major way.
In an article listing one “hot take” for every team in the league heading into the ’26-27 season, Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes predicted that Edgecombe will be Philly’s second-best player, behind Tyrese Maxey. Hughes cited age and injury concerns for both LeBron James and Joel Embiid as reasons why he thinks Edgecombe could end up having a more productive campaign than both guys.
From Hughes:
“Joel Embiid will miss at least half the season, if history is any guide. LeBron James is closer to 50 than 30. Jaylen Brown, by some (specious) accounts, is no better than the Philadelphia 76ers’ seventh-best player! The path is clear for second-year guard VJ Edgecombe to produce more value than any Sixers teammate not named Tyrese Maxey.
“Sure, a lot of this volume-based take rests on the assumption that Philly’s pair of former MVPs won’t hold up physically. The only area Edgecombe is likely to outproduce Brown is in the host of advanced metrics and on-off figures that have pretty much always disfavored the latter.
“That still counts, and the four-way race for the honor of Philadelphia’s second-most productive player will only get more interesting if the postseason promise Edgecombe showed turns into a full-on second-year leap.”
Edgecombe averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game for the 76ers as a rookie. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting behind Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel.
VJ Edgecombe Eager to Embrace New Role With 76ers
It remains to be seen exactly what Edgecombe’s role will be next season given all the offseason additions made by Philly, but he’s prepared to do whatever is asked of him.
“I just want to win. I’m going to still be aggressive, still be myself. If that comes with less shots or more shots, who knows,” Edgecombe said of his role. “I don’t know how the course of the game is going to go. I’m just excited to play alongside my teammates. I think we have a chance to do something really special.”
Edgecombe is certainly bringing the right attitude into his second season in the league. Big things could be ahead for him.
Philadelphia 76ers’ VJ Edgecombe Receives Bold Prediction Ahead of NBA Season