Draymond Green is right about VJ Edgecombe. But he couldn’t be more wrong about LeBron James.
Green isn’t wrong about the overarching issue in Philly. What he’s missing is that the issue predated James, and that James is much more likely to alleviate it than exacerbate it.
Draymond Green is wrong about one thing. VJ Edgecombe’s agent should be ecstatic. If he isn’t, then Edgecombe should find a new agent. There are only a small handful of people who have more to gain from LeBron James signing with the Sixers, and all of them own charter helicopter services that fly between New York and Philly.
That’s not to say we should completely dismiss the concern raised by Green in a recent podcast episode.
“If I’m VJ Edgecombe’s agent, I’m not sure I’m happy with the summer that the 76ers have had,” said Green, the star power forward whose Warriors were among a number of contenders that had hoped to land James. “Like you go from being sometimes the second option when [Joel] Embiid was out to sometimes being the fifth option. It’s a big, big difference.”
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Green isn’t wrong about the overarching issue. What he’s missing is that the issue predated James, and that James is much more likely to alleviate it than exacerbate it.
Nick Nurse will need to be mindful of Edgecombe’s usage rate. On a team with three prime-aged players accustomed to getting 20-plus shots per game plus LeBron, the Sixers would be doing themselves a disservice if they allowed Edgecombe to pause his superstar progression to spend a couple of seasons as a glorified Josh Hart. I don’t know if I’d go so far as to call it a concern. But it is most definitely an unknown, one that carries some downside risk. Green is right about that.
Edgecombe’s superstar flashes as a rookie occurred in moments and stretches where he operated as the primary option. We got the best glimpses of the guy he could become in the moments where the Sixers needed him to be that guy: when the offense ran through him, when the success or failure of the possession at hand was his to dictate. Remember the 20 points he scored in the first half against the Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semis? Edgecombe scored five unassisted buckets during that heater. Four of them were pull-up jumpers, including a 27-footer from three-point range.
That aspect of Edgecombe’s game is why NBA folks mention guys like Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade when talking about his potential. Neither is a perfect comp. Butler is a better one than Wade. They both make sense from a stylistic viewpoint. Wade and Butler are/were two of the best at methodically getting to their spots and then owning that spot. That’s something a player needs to develop, both in terms of feel and in terms of pacing. So, yeah, it’s a potential drawback if Edgecombe always gets last dibs on spots. I’m just not sure I agree with Green that LeBron compounds the potential issue. I actually think he could prove to be a godsend for Edgecombe.
Two things you can say about James throughout his career. One, he recognizes talent; and, two, he is willing, even eager, to facilitate things for that talent. That’s especially true of young talent.
Kyrie Irving flourished alongside James in Cleveland. So did Austin Reaves in Los Angeles. James has played with a slew of young up-and-comers who didn’t have nearly the talent that Edgecombe has. All had plenty of opportunities. Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram both averaged at least 18 shots per 100 possessions when they were on the court with James during his first year with the Lakers. Malik Monk had arguably the best season of his career as a 23-year-old Laker. D’Angelo Russell’s most efficient seasons — really, his only efficient seasons — came during the 125 games he played with the LeBron Lakers.
Purchase a front page reprint of The Philadelphia Inquirer from Saturday, July 25, 2026, featuring LeBron James following the news that he was joining the 76ers. Buy it here.
Two years ago, Russell, James and Anthony Davis all averaged between 14 and 18 shots per game, while Reaves and Rui Hachimura both got between 10 and 12. Keep in mind, James and Davis both played 70-plus games and 35-plus minutes per night that season.
Nurse will be able to find spots to let Edgecombe do his thing. James only played in 60 games last season. Embiid has played in 96 total over the last three seasons. During the course of a game, you could see a lineup with Edgecombe, Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and a backup center on the court together.
» READ MORE: Can LeBron and the Sixers win it all? We ran the numbers.
James shouldn’t be a drag on Edgecombe. He should be a force multiplier. There’d be a bigger reason for concern without him. Really, it’s what makes the signing of James so transformative. Before, there was some real reason to wonder how well Edgecombe and Maxey would mesh with a couple of ball-dominant alphas who both feel as if they have a lot left to prove. James’ biggest benefit to the Sixers is his ability to smooth that dynamic, not so much in the locker room but on the court with his style of play and commanding presence. There’s a very real world where he ends up serving as the bridge connector between the younger and older halves of the foursome.
The biggest winners of last week’s wild turn of events were Edgecombe and his financial dependents. Them, and the Air Redick operators.
