76ers have already found the perfect guide for Labaron Philon

The NBA Summer League Sixers had a couple of special guests around the team recently.

The Philadelphia 76ers’ social media team revealed that the second-year star VJ Edgecombe and the 22-year-old veteran Justin Edwards were around the team as they prepare for more action out in Vegas.

The presence of Edgecombe is exciting for Sixers fans, considering he can lay out the blueprint for succeeding as a rookie in year one for Labaron Philon Jr.

Labaron Philon Jr. is getting a solid mentor

When Edgecombe entered the NBA in 2025-2026, he had an immediate mentor in Tyrese Maxey.

Anybody who has seen Maxey over the years knows that he’s one of the hardest workers in the game. Edgecombe immediately became familiar with Maxey’s style. Now, Edgecombe will be passed the mentor torch for the incoming 20-year-old.

Edgecombe landed in the NBA after a season at Baylor. He appeared in 33 games as a freshman, seeing the court for 32.7 minutes. He produced averages of 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.1 steals.

The Sixers selected Edgecombe with the third-overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. He started in all 75 of his appearances last year, seeing the court for 35.0 minutes per game.

Edgecombe shot 43.8% from the field and 35.4% from three, producing 16.0 points per game, 5.6 rebounds per game, 4.2 assists per game, and 1.4 steals per game.

Philon becomes the Sixers’ next incoming first-round prospect. While he was selected much later than Edgecombe (No. 22 overall), the head coach Nick Nurse has made it clear that there won’t be any bias against young and inexperienced players. If you can play—you will play.

Philon shot 45.2% from the field in college, averaging 10.6 points, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 3.3 rebounds.

In Summer League so far, Philon has appeared in two games. He has posted averages of 21.0 points, 6.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals.

So far, the hype for Philon is real. Last year, Edgecombe’s Summer League stardom through two games transitioned well into the preseason and the regular season for the 76ers. Now, he has to give the blueprint to Philon.

The 76ers aren't ready to call it a summer run for Philon just yet. If all goes as expected, he'll be back on the court on Tuesday, July 14, for the 4 PM ET tip-off against the Houston Rockets. The Sixers are searching for win No. 3 in Vegas.

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