Why this would-be future NBA star might be negatively impacted by LeBron’s move to Philly

By Kels Dayton
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Updated: September 26, 2026

VJ Edgecombe won’t have as many opportunities to show what he can do offensively with Brown and LeBron added to the roster next season.

This was the offseason of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Very few people would have predicted that after Philly was unceremoniously trounced– swept out of the second round of the NBA playoffs by the New York Knicks last spring.

But the Sixers pulled off two stunning moves– trading 35 cents on the dollar for Jaylen Brown and then adding LeBron James as a free agent, something some fans have been dreaming about since the early Trust the Process days over a decade ago.

It’s a fantastic upgrade for Philly, and it might put them in the title race, but one player who may not benefit from the roster overhaul is the No. 3 overall pick in last year’s draft, VJ Edgecombe.

Edgecombe had a brilliant rookie season, averaging 16 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 43.8 percent from the field last year. He had a 51 percent effective field goal percentage, played almost every night and ended up finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting.

The former Baylor star was explosive, bouncy, got hot from 3 and showed he can be the No. 2 or No. 3 option– depending on whether or not Joel Embiid was in the lineup– on a playoff team. He played well in the playoffs too, putting up 14 points and 6 boards and helping the Sixers stun the Celtics in 7 games in round 1 before their abrupt second-round exit.

Edgecombe appeared ready for a second-year jump, and he and Tyrese Maxey were one of the most explosive, fun-to-watch guard duos in the league. But with the addition of two guys who are going to need the ball in their hands, there’s a real chance the would-be future star might be relegated to standing in the corner a lot next season.

His role may end up shifting to more of a catch-and-shoot 3-point guy, and there’s no doubt that some of the offensive gravity commanded by Brown and James– in addition to Maxey and Embiid– will help him get open looks. Edgecombe shot 35.4 percent from 3 last season, and 38.3 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s, but he could improve on those numbers this year. If he does, he’ll be a valuable weapon, and his teammates will love having him on the floor.

At just 21 years old, Edgecombe has the skills to become a future All-Star, so while he’ll help Philly with offensive firepower, his game might not improve in the ways he would have wanted. Fans won’t care if the Sixers win, but Edgecombe might– if it affects his game and his bank account in the future.

Edgecombe’s numbers could see the same sort of dip that Kevin Love saw when the All-Star forward went from rebounding and scoring monster in Minnesota to No. 3 option his first year in Cleveland alongside LeBron and Kyrie Irving.

Love went from averaging 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds with the Wolves in 2013-14 to putting up 16.4 points and 9.7 rebounds. Of course, he also went from being the No. 1 option and star on a mediocre team (the Wolves went 40-42) to being a key piece on an NBA Finals squad. He finished 11th in MVP voting and was an All-Star and Second Team All-NBA player in ’14 but had none of those accolades in his first year with the Cavs.

After another season averaging 16 points per game but being shut out of any awards, Love rebounded in 2016-17, upping his scoring average to 19 per and was an All-Star. He was an All-Star the following season as well, averaging 17.6 points per game.

Obviously, Kevin Love became more relevant thanks to playing with LeBron. He won an NBA title, and he likely wouldn’t change a thing. But his numbers did take a dip, and it may be instructive to consider how Edgecombe might be similarly affected. Another example of a star player who joined LeBron– Chris Bosh– saw his numbers drop from his final, No. 1 option season in Toronto (24 ppg, 10.8 rpg) to his first season in Miami (18.7, 8.3). Bosh was also No. 12 in MVP voting in 2009-10, his last with the Raptors. Neither player would ever quite return to their previous statistical apexes.

Will VJ Edgecombe’s career hit a similar statistical speed bump? It seems pretty likely. How he, and the rest of the 76ers– including Tyrese Maxey (28.3 ppg, 6.6 apg last season) handle it will go a long way toward deciding whether or not they’ll compete for a title.