The 76ers selected VJ Edgecombe with the third overall and Johni Broome with the No. 35 pick.
The Philadelphia 76ers selected VJ Edgecombe with the third overall and Johni Broome with the No. 35 pick, respectively, in the 2025 NBA Draft. With his selection, Edgecombe became the highest draft pick in Baylor basketball history. Before him, Ekpe Udoh held the mark, who was selected sixth overall by the Golden State Warriors in 2010. He is Baylor’s 14th pick in the last 13 editions of the NBA Drafts, the most by any team in Texas.
Edgecombe, the 2024-25 Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year and All-big 12 Second Team, finished the 2024-25 season with an average of 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. He was shooting 34.3% on threes and 78.2% on free throws. The 19-year-old had 68 steals last season, which were tied for the fourth-most throughout the conference and an all-time high by a freshman in the history of the program.
first look at the rooks in a sixers uniform. 👀 pic.twitter.com/7hK4B4yR88
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) June 27, 2025
On the other hand, Johni Broome, the No. 35 pick in the NBA Draft, is the 2024-25 SEC Player of the Year and Karl Malone Award winner. It is an honor which is given to the best power forward of the nation. He finished the season with an average of 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. Not only this, but he was also the only SEC player to average a double-double in 204-25 with 21 such games throughout the season.
Broome finished his collegiate career by leading the Tigers to their first Final Four appearance since 2018-19. In five games, he was averaging 16.8 points and 12.0 rebounds. Before playing for Auburn, he spent two collegiate seasons at Morehead State University, where he was adjudged the OVC Freshman of the Year.
Edgecombe is an incredible athlete with impressive defensive skills. His excellent steal rate makes him a valuable addition to the Sixers’ roster. Broome, on the flip note, brings more skills to the center than their backups. Since Andre Drummond and Adem Bona have had a struggling season last year, Broome is expected to bring in immediate impact for them.
Talking about the 76ers, they had a disastrous campaign last season with 24 wins and 58 defeats. Their star players Joel Embiid appeared in only 19 games and Paul George recorded only 41 games due to injuries. However, with the additions of Edgecombe and Broome, Philadelphia would aim to try and bounce back in 2025-26.
Here is how the 76ers’ roster could look like in the forthcoming season-
This could be the case since the 76ers have a few unrestricted free agents. A few other players have player options as well as team options. They might return to the team, but are not included in the aforementioned roster.
Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.
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