The Philadelphia 76ers will enter the 2026-27 season with one of the most loaded lineups the league has seen in recent years. LeBron James and Jaylen Brown are all set to join an already talented nucleus consisting of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe. That being said, the incoming sophomore stands on quite the nebulous footing, as his role could decline. As such, the team should consider doing the unthinkable –– bringing him off the bench.
Between James, Brown, Embiid, and Maxey, the 76ers have four players who averaged north of 20 points per game last season. If the coaching staff wants to fully make the most of their overflowing scoring talent, Edgecombe would probably be much better off getting his role realigned as the sixth man, where he will have more liberty to create for himself and get his numbers.
The 76ers should strongly consider bringing VJ Edgecombe off the bench
Fans will probably scoff at the idea of seeing one of the best rookies from last season suddenly get demoted as a bench catalyst. Heck, even Nick Nurse –– who has always preferred starting his five best players despite question marks about fit –– may not be a fan of such a proposition. Be that as it may, the inarguable truth is that the 76ers have too many mouths to feed in their projected starting unit.
Bench scoring was also a huge headache for the 76ers last season, and by moving Edgecombe to the second unit, the coaching staff could hit two birds with one stone. Obviously, that will make scoring more balanced for the starting group while the bench will finally have a centerpiece.
The other effect of bringing Edgecombe off the bench is that it will allow the coaching staff to promote a complementary piece to the starting five. Ideally, a low-usage player like Dean Wade, who will not demand nor require touches in order to be effective, would be the move. That would likewise give the team much more size, which will help bolster rebounding and their collective ceiling on the defensive end.
Sure, the optics may not be good if the 76ers were to relegate VJ Edgecombe to the second unit, but that is simply part of the sacrifice the team could be forced to make in order to bolster their bid for the championship next season. That does not change the young guard's outlook as a future franchise cornerstone, but for now, he should be under consideration for a role realignment.
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