VJ Edgecombe Talks Role on New-Look 76ers After LeBron James Signing, Jaylen Brown Trade

The Philadelphia 76ers are going to have to iron out their roles after the offseason additions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, among others.

But as teams try to deal with stopping those two alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, second-year standout VJ Edgecombe is expecting to see plenty of open looks.

"It's fine if they don't respect me, I'll just get a bunch of open shots," he told reporters regarding opposing teams if they leave him unguarded. "I'm just working. That's the main thing for me. That comes with work. Whatever I want I got to work for it. I'm willing to do that."

For Edgecombe, the main thing remains winning a championship.

"I mean, it don't matter what happens, there's always going to be someone that has something to say," he said. "But I just want to win. I'm going to still be aggressive, still be myself. If that comes with less shots or more shots, who knows. I don't know how the course of the game is going to go. I'm just excited to play alongside my teammates. I think we have a chance to do something really special."

Because Embiid has a long injury history and because James is 41, both players will need their minutes and appearances managed carefully during the regular season. That should mean plenty of games where one, if not both, are sidelined, which would mean a greater role for Edgecombe in those contests.

He certainly looked like a star-in-the-making during his rookie season, averaging 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 35.4 percent from three. His future is bright, even if the Sixers need him to take on a more complementary role next season.