Former Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe played one season of college before declaring for the 2025 NBA draft. He was viewed by most as one of the top prospects in the draft, and as a result, it was not surprising when he was selected third by the Philadelphia 76ers. In his freshman year at college, he averaged 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
Part of what makes Edgecombe stand out is his athleticism. On Thursday, analyst Jay Bilas sat down for a conversation with Gilbert Arenas on “Gil’s Arena.” Bilas used Edgecombe’s athleticism to compare him to former NBA superstar Dwyane Wade, who has an estimated net worth of $170 million. A clip of the conversation was posted on Instagram by the Gil’s Arena account.
“VJ Edgecombe’s really talented. He’s probably the best athlete in the draft,” Jay Bilas said. ” I try to be careful about saying this, but he reminds me of like 19-year-old Victor Oladipo or maybe even an 18-year-old Dwyane Wade. Now that doesn’t mean he’s going to reach those heights, but at that age, hard to tell the difference between those guys.”
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Former NBA Star Carmelo Anthony Sends a Challenge to VJ Edgecombe and Other Young Stars
VJ Edgecombe has not played a regular-season NBA game yet, but he is already viewed by many as a future star. As a result, he sometimes gets lumped in with the other young stars in the NBA. Last week, former NBA star Carmelo Anthony spoke about wanting young stars like Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards and VJ Edgecombe to put in more effort to help fix All-Star Weekend.
“I want to see the Ja (Morant’s), I want to see the Ant Edwards. He has to do it at least once. He has to do it,” Anthony said. “You can add somebody from the rookies. You know, whoever can make the rookie game. I want to see VJ Edgecombe and Philly in the dunk contest more than I want to see Cooper in the dunk contest. Put Cooper in the Skills Challenge. But I want to see VJ in the dunk contest.”
“We gotta get Ant, Ja, and Zion [in the dunk contest] … I’m gonna do what I gotta do to get those guys.”
Melo is LOCKED IN on bringing the dunkers we want to see to NBA All-Star Saturday night 💯 pic.twitter.com/3sXVHcrpYv
— 7PM in Brooklyn (@7PMinBrooklyn) August 1, 2025
In the eyes of many fans, All-Star Weekend, and the Dunk Contest specifically, has declined in recent years. Fans have been calling for more stars to participate.
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