The noise around the Philadelphia 76ers’ crowded star mix has already started, and VJ Edgecombe isn’t biting.
With LeBron James and Jaylen Brown now on a roster that already includes Joel Embiid, the conversation has turned to who loses touches, shots, and room to grow. Draymond Green has gone as far as to say Edgecombe could be the biggest loser in the setup, and some former NBA players have suggested his development might take a hit. When Edgecombe was asked about that possibility, he didn’t sound rattled at all.
“I mean, it don’t matter what happens,” Edgecombe said. “… Someone’s always going to have something to say.
But I just want to win. That’s me.
I just want to win. And I’m gonna still be aggressive.
I’mma still be myself. If that comes with less shots or more shots, who knows?
I don’t know how the course of the game is gonna go, so I’m just excited to play alongside my teammates.
“I feel like we have a chance to do something really special, and I’m glad to be a part of it,” Edgecombe added.
Edgecombe even smirked while the question was being asked, a pretty good sign that the concern isn’t keeping him up at night. Before James signed with Philadelphia, the young guard had already said it would be amazing if he came to town. Now that it’s real, Edgecombe sounds more energized than intimidated.
The part he keeps coming back to is learning. He knows the ball won’t always be in his hands as much as it was during his rookie season, but he’s treating that as an opportunity, not a setback.
“But for me, I’m just willing,” Edgecombe said. “… I’m just happy to learn.
I’m gonna ask Bron so many questions, ask JB so many questions. I already ask Joel and Maxey so many questions… I’m just happy to go learn.
To me, the greatest player of all time, I’m playing alongside him. I’m just trying to see anything I can learn, get any bits and pieces.”
That’s a pretty clean snapshot of where Edgecombe stands: less worried about labels, more focused on absorbing everything around him. James has already seen and done everything the sport can offer, and Edgecombe figures that kind of proximity can only help him over time.
The Baylor product has already given Philadelphia plenty to feel good about. Selected No. 3 in the 2025 NBA Draft, Edgecombe averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for the 76ers in 2025-26. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, and the upside is obvious.
For now, though, he’ll be one of the players fitting into a much bigger picture. The 76ers now have Embiid, Maxey, James, and Brown all in the same mix, and the obvious question is how all that talent shares one basketball. Maxey has already made it clear that no one can carry an ego, and that sacrifice will be part of the deal.
The goal is simple from Philadelphia’s side: do whatever it takes to win the NBA championship. The 76ers are among the favorites, and fans are already thinking about a first title since 1983.
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