Philadelphia 76ers predicted starting lineup and depth chart after selecting VJ Edgecombe over Ace Bailey

The Philadelphia 76ers threw a curveball in the 2025 NBA Draft, veering away from speculation they’d take Ace Bailey or move the pick, instead opting to select Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe.

Edgecombe, a high-energy scoring guard, put up 15 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game at Baylor, shooting 43.6% from the field and 34% from deep on 4.6 attempts per game.

While he brings offensive upside, he enters a crowded backcourt already stacked with promising young players.

Here’s a look at the Sixers’ current positional depth chart, which highlights the traffic jam in the guard rotation, especially with names like Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain already on board.

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(t) - team option; (p) - player option; (UFA) - unrestricted free agent; (RFA) - restricted free agent

According to Spotrac, seven players are under contract with Philadelphia: Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, Adem Bona (partially guaranteed salary), Ricky Council IV (non-guaranteed salary) and Alex Reese (two-way contract).

The Sixers hold team options on Justin Edwards, Jared Butler and Lonnie Walker IV, while Kelly Oubre Jr., Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon have player options.

They also have several free agents: Guerschon Yabusele, Kyle Lowry and Jalen Hood-Schifino are unrestricted, and Quentin Grimes and Jeff Dowtin Jr. are restricted.

We project their starting five next season to be Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, Kelly Oubre Jr., Paul George and Joel Embiid, with VJ Edgecombe coming off the bench.

VJ Edgecombe confident in role alongside Sixers stars

Despite joining a rotation already rich in talent, VJ Edgecombe sees the fit as a win. After being selected, he spoke about how he can complement Philly’s core, even without dominating the ball.

“I feel like I’ll play well off of them,” Edgecombe said (per Philly Sports Network). “I’ve been playing off the ball, so I don’t need the ball to be impactful. So like I said, knowing the type of player they are, I feel like I’ll be able to fit right in, just play off of them, learn from them.”

Edgecombe also admitted the pick caught him off guard, especially with rumors swirling about the Sixers pursuing Ace Bailey or a blockbuster trade involving Paul George.

"No, I had no clue what was going on," he said. "I was like, I'm just living in the moment until they tell me that I'm going there when I was at the table. Like 15 seconds before they drafted me, before the commissioner called my name. They didn't tell me nothing. It was still up in the air about what was going on."

Aside from VJ Edgecombe's integration, one of the biggest stories for Philadelphia heading into the new season remains the health of their stars.

Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro