The Philadelphia 76ers franchise has a new lease on life following Monday evening’s NBA Draft Lottery. The Sixers beat the 1-10 odds to move up to third overall in this year’s NBA Draft. Plenty of talented players will still be on the board after Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper appear locked at one and two, respectively. That leaves the Sixers the choice between guard VJ Edgecombe and forward Ace Bailey. A decision that will reveal the franchise’s philosophy on team building and drafting for upside.
Edgecombe had an incredibly productive freshman year for Baylor. The consensus five-star recruit averaged 15 points a game with 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Bears. The Bahamian might be the most athletic player in his draft class and one of the few physically ready for the NBA. He tends to rely too heavily on those physical skills when trying to create shots, which he will not be able to do in the NBA. His main strengths are off-ball shooting and perimeter defense.
Edgecombe has an average 6’5″ wingspan, but makes up for that with a high motor and fast hands. His play-making ability is solid, but he must improve dribbling and passing to NBA-ready levels. Edgecombe’s catch-and-shoot skill will be most impactful for whatever team drafts him. He does not have the ceiling that many scouts believe Bailey has, but VJ has drawn comparisons to Victor Oladipo and Russell Westbrook.
Bailey’s biggest strength is his untapped potential. Harper’s former teammate at Rutgers has drawn comparisons to Paul George and Kevin Durant, despite an up-and-down season in North Jersey. Scouts seem to agree that he has the highest ceiling in the draft, maybe even higher than Flagg’s. The 6’9″ prospect has an incredible wingspan that allows him to fill it up from all three levels.
Scouts believe Bailey’s scoring ability could make him the most dangerous offensive player in the draft class. He can shoot threes quickly, with a high launch point, and has a full bag in mid-range post. Playmaking and overall basketball IQ are huge concerns. He tends to have tunnel vision with the ball; the shot goes up if he gets the ball. Veteran leadership and the franchise’s player development program will be the key for Bailey. The Sixers have shown the ability to develop players like Tyrese Maxey and have veterans. Whether those veterans are actually good leaders remains to be seen.
Monday night’s result saved the fanbase from collectively jumping off the Delaware Bridge ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season. The franchise can now look past next season and the end of the Joel Embiid era. Many Sixers fans would prefer the team start that process in the offseason, but Morey has said the team plans to compete again for the playoffs. If next season starts like the last one, expect a complete teardown by the All-Star break.
Edgecombe is the safer pick and a player who could conceivably play playoff minutes next season. Bailey has all the upside in the world; his selection would signal that the Sixers are closer to moving on from George and Embiid sooner rather than later. A high-upside player versus a high-floor player is a classic draft decision that the 76ers organization is ecstatic to make.
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