The 2025 NBA Draft is just a hair below a couple of weeks away, meaning that the Philadelphia 76ers will be making their biggest decision yet this year. In possession of the third overall pick, at least for now, the franchise has every reason take its time with such a prized asset, yet the proximity of the annual rookie draft has made it imperative for them to move with more decisiveness.
Should the 76ers exercise their right to make an outright selection, their choice will most likely boil down to two prospects — Rutgers star Ace Bailey and Baylor standout VJ Edgecombe. Philly has registered interest in a couple other prospects, but it would be difficult to envision the front office not picking one of the aforementioned.
Having said that, most draft experts have the 76ers leaning towards picking Bailey, who certainly touts a higher ceiling as a rangy forward who can score at all levels. To bolster his case, the squad also needs a sizeable forward, and at 6’7.5” barefoot, he packs a lot of size and length at a position of obvious need.
However, the 76ers seem to be going against the grain as far as the latest intel goes.
The 76ers are reportedly more interested in drafting VJ Edgecombe
According to Jake Fisher, (subscription required), the 76ers seem to be gearing up to pick Edgecombe as their first-round selection this year over Bailey, the hands-down favorite to land in Philly.
"The prime candidate at No. 3, at this juncture, appears to be Baylor freshman guard VJ Edgecombe, who sources say visited with the Sixers last week. There's an expectation that Philadelphia will bring in Rutgers' Ace Bailey down the road, but I have not heard of a workout that Bailey has scheduled to date."
This is definitely a surprising stance from the 76ers given that Bailey, despite his apparent red flags and lack of maturity with his game at this juncture, remains a highly intriguing prospect thanks to his combination of size and raw scoring talent.
Edgecombe, for his part, is probably the more NBA-ready incoming rookie, but he plays a position where the 76ers are not necessarily lacking. Philly has a guard-heavy attack with Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain expected to catalyze the team’s offense, and Edgecombe will most likely have to settle for a lesser role to kickstart his career with the franchise if ever.
There is still a lot to unpack, and there are still a lot of things that can happen between now and June 25, but suffice to say that the 76ers are most probably going to make their selection on the basis of which prospect is more ready to contribute now than solely banking on long-term promise.
Hopefully, if the Philadelphia 76ers truly swim against the tide, they will end up emerging as victors, just as they did last year.