Paul George Hypes V.J. Edgecombe amid 76ers Draft Rumors, Compares SG to Jimmy Butler

Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe has frequently been linked to the Philadelphia 76ers with the No. 3 pick in Wednesday's 2025 NBA draft, and one of his potential future teammates had high praise for him.

Sixers veteran Paul George spoke about Edgecombe during Tuesday's episode of Podcast P with Paul George Presented by Wave Original (46:00 mark) and compared him to one of the best two-way players in the league.

"I like him, I like his upside. To me, I think he's kind of like Jimmy Butler," George said. "Just a dog, plays hard, plays both ends and just has that toughness about him."

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman predicted in his latest mock draft that the Sixers would pass on Rutgers wing Ace Bailey to select Edgecombe with the No. 3 pick. NBA insider Jake Fischer reported earlier this month that Philadelphia became enamored with Edgecombe after his impressive pre-draft workout and because of his fit alongside the team's star players.

"Edgecombe is said to have impressed with his work ethic, personality and interviews," Fischer stated at the time. "He went to dinner with [team president Daryl Morey] and other Sixers higher-ups. Even Tyrese Maxey, sources say, flew in for the occasion. The Sixers are certainly intrigued by what type of defensive complement Edgecombe could provide their All-Star guard, sources say, in addition to his explosive upside on the offensive side of the ball."

In his lone season at Baylor, Edgecombe averaged 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game. George said he became impressed with the 19-year-old before he ever played for the Bears, as he first got a glimpse of him when he played for the Bahamas national team in the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Valencia and averaged 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists across four games.

"It's almost funny, because watching it, he stood out, but I didn't know the name," George explained. "I didn't know that was the player who went to Baylor, and that's who the kid was. But watching him, and they said how young he was, I was like, he's competing, playing against top talent and he's dunking on them, blowing by them. He was making an impact, he was an impactful player."

Barring something unforeseen, George could be sharing the floor with Edgecombe later this year for the Sixers.