The Philadelphia 76ers have one of the most intimidating rosters in the league, but that might not be something they will get to enjoy for a long time. After all, their lineup has a pretty expensive maintenance cost, and things will only get more complicated for them financially once they are on deck to extend VJ Edgecombe. And to get an idea of how much they might have to pay him, they can look at the recent extension Amen Thompson received from the Rockets.
As first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania, Thompson and the Rockets have come to terms on a five-year, $208 million rookie-scale extension. The deal also includes a 10 percent trade kicker, ensuring that he stays with the franchise until at least the 2031-32 season. Given that it will eat up the same cap space as All-Star big man Alperen Sengun, Houston definitely made a hefty investment in Amen.
Rockets just gave 76ers an unsettling benchmark for VJ Edgecombe extension
Thompson definitely has the necessary promise to warrant such an expensive commitment from the Rockets, but one could tenably argue that the Rockets made a pretty major gambit there. Make no mistake –– the 23-year-old looked impressive last season after averaging 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per outing, but his current player profile is not exactly spotless given his absolute lack of perimeter shooting.
One could even say that Edgecombe, who turned in a wildly encouraging rookie campaign, has a higher ceiling than Thompson with his more well-rounded offensive repertoire and similar defensive acuity. As such, it is not too far-fetched to envision him warranting the same amount as the latter did when his turn to get an extension offer comes.
However, the problem is that at that point, there is no telling if the 76ers are still equipped to hand that kind of a payday to Edgecombe. Of course, keeping him will be their top priority the moment he becomes eligible for an extension, but that will prompt the front office to make serious cuts.
Philly has two expensive long-term commitments in Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown will surely get his extension in all likelihood. That means that the 76ers will have no choice but to sacrifice their financial flexibility to give Edgecombe an offer close to what Thompson got, which is probably what he will command at that juncture.
The 76ers will undoubtedly invest in VJ Edgecombe just like any other rational front office would, but given their current financial outlook, it will simply come with a major cost –– both on paper and from a team-wide viewpoint.
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