VJ Edgecombe: No. 3 pick shakes off slow start, helps Sixers to win in Las Vegas debut
Edgecombe went scoreless in the first half, missing each of his first seven attempts from the field. He responded by producing 15 points over the next two quarters, going 4 of 7 from the field and 6 of 6 at the free-throw line in a 74-58 win over the Washington Wizards.
Once Edgecombe got going, the 19-year-old showcased each element of his game, from his explosion on offense to his ability to make plays for teammates. He was dynamic with the ball in his hands and got into the paint with ease after getting past the defense.
Edgecombe debuted with the Sixers on July 5, producing 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal. He was sidelined for the last four games due to a left thumb sprain, though he participated in some on-court workouts before receiving clearance to play on Tuesday.
The former Baylor guard overcame some early inconsistency in his return, but eventually settled into the game and put a rough start behind him. He played a key role for the team down the stretch and made several crucial plays to help the Sixers get by the Wizards.
After picking up their first win, the Sixers return to action on Wednesday (8 p.m. EDT, ESPN) and will wrap up their stay in the desert on Friday (6 p.m. EDT, NBA TV).
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USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Where does Sixers star Paul George land on the all-time greats list?
Everybody knows what Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George can do when he's right. While injuries have robbed him of his once elite athleticism, George is still somebody who can knock down tough shots and give any team he's on a shot in the arm on the offensive end. A 9-time All-Star, George led the Indiana Pacers to the Eastern Conference finals in 2013 and 2014 before also leading the Los Angeles Clippers to their only conference finals appearance in franchise history in 2021. His first season with the Sixers was marred by injuries, but George is still a top player when right. Bleacher Report put together a top 100 players of all-time list and George landed at No. 78 on the list: During a stretch from 2014 to around 2019, your nerdiest NBA friend might have made the case that George was one of the five best players in the league. That claim wasn't far off, as PG overcame a gruesome broken leg in the summer of 2014 to earn four All-NBA nods in the next five years while regularly getting top-five DPOY consideration. Though George's best MVP finish (third) came with the Thunder in 2019, he'll be best remembered for being the top threat on some excellent Pacers teams that reached the conference finals twice and for teaming with Kawhi Leonard on some very good but unlucky Clippers squads. A jack of all trades who could run the offense, spot up for threes, defend the opponent's top scoring threat and wreak havoc in the passing lanes, George was a fully scalable superstar during his prime. Looking to rehab properly from an offseason knee surgery, George will look to give the Sixers the player they were expecting when they signed him to a 4-year $212 million deal. If he can bounce back and give Philadelphia some help on the offensive end, then the Sixers should be in an excellent spot to contend.
New York Times
6 hours ago
- New York Times
Cooper Flagg, Johnny Furphy's dunk and other 2025 NBA Summer League standouts
LAS VEGAS — Summer league, baby! It's the NBA's big convention, the place where you can see fans take selfies with Scott Foster, watch the 'Ricky Davis rule' in action and get a sell-out crowd for a game that would draw 100 people in Oshkosh, Wis., this December with the same players. With so much going on in Vegas, sometimes it's hard to remember that there was also basketball. So much of it, in fact, that teams rarely let their best prospects play the whole thing. (As a league, the NBA might want to talk about that.) Advertisement So, what are we supposed to take away from what happened on the court? The conventional wisdom is that everything you see in Vegas is a mirage that means virtually nothing once teams reconvene to play real basketball this fall. While elements of that statement are true, it's not entirely true. In particular, summer-league evaluations can be much more useful if you manage to blind yourself to makes and misses and just focus on some of the big-picture characteristics you see. Statistically, virtually nothing translates to the regular season convincingly except stuff that already correlates heavily with height and position (i.e., blocks, assists and rebounds). What you're looking for instead is a lot of the soft stuff — size, functional athleticism, IQ and, especially, non-scoring impact. As a result, it's hard to tell you who 'starred' in summer league in a way that isn't just drunk on shooting variance, but let me try. I was excited to see what Indiana's second-year pro could do heading into his second season, and his greatest hits at summer league certainly didn't disappoint. Chief among them, of course, was his detonation on Chicago Bulls rookie Noa Essengue, a finish that came after a coast-to-coast dribbling sequence that included a sweet between-the-legs change of direction to free up his assault on the rim. 😳😳😳 Johnny Furphy just dropped the best dunk at @NBASummerLeague. — Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) July 14, 2025 That said, the Summer of Furph still left us wanting more at times. There were too many moments of passivity or where he took a back seat to lesser players (he finished eighth on the Pacers in usage rate). When he tried to make plays, mixed in with the spectacular positives were far too many turnovers. Furphy has an open path to rotation minutes in a gap year in Indiana, but he'll need to do more than tease us to claim them. Advertisement With six seconds left in overtime between the Rockets and Atlanta Hawks and Houston trailing by one, we had a rare basketball Olimpico on a sideline out-of-bounds play, as Samuels' attempted alley-oop pass for Great Osobor instead went directly into the basket. While you can't commit offensive interference on an inbound play, you also can't score directly from out of bounds. So unfortunately, this was a violation that gave the ball back to Atlanta. In a game between Brooklyn and Oklahoma City on the first day of play, Reynolds won possession of a jump ball in his own end … and immediately turned and shot it into his own basket. Thunder guard Erik Reynolds accidentally scored on his own basket 😅 🎥 @espn | H/T @KingCharge — The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) July 10, 2025 This, you may be surprised to hear, did not count as two points for the Nets but rather as a violation that resulted in Brooklyn getting the ball out of bounds. It's the so-called Ricky Davis rule that makes it illegal for a player to shoot at his own basket (Davis once famously banked a shot off his own rim so he could rebound it and get a triple-double), memorialized as Rule 5.1.e in the official rulebook. Literally and figuratively, the 7-foot-1 Yang was a big deal in Vegas. He was neither the best nor the worst player at summer league, but he definitely garnered the most attention as a mystery man from overseas. (The Chinese network Tencent dedicated a production crew just to broadcast his games — not something it typically does for summer league.) Yang also produced some unintentional comedy due to his total lack of familiarity with the defensive-three-seconds rule. Early in his second game, the baseline official could be heard yelling, 'Get out!' five times before finally relenting and calling the violation on Yang. That came after the league seemingly avoided enforcing the rule entirely during the first set of games for each team, producing some hilarious sequences where Yang was in the lane for much of the shot clock. Advertisement He'll figure out the rule soon enough. As far as basketball, it was a mixed bag. Yang is huge, willingly physical and has some sizzle as a passer from the top of the key; it also looks like he can make enough 3s to keep defenses honest. Despite all the social media clips, however, his overall numbers were pretty pedestrian. He disappointed on the glass and may struggle changing ends and guarding in space. His ultimate success may depend on whether he can mash in the paint well enough to dissuade opponents from covering him with smalls. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks: Forget that he made 5 of 21 in his first summer-league game; summer shooting percentages are basically worthless. Flagg passed the eye test with flying colors, roaring down the lane for giant dunks, handling the ball like a point guard despite nominally being a 6-8 power forward and showing comfort shooting pull-ups off the dribble. A nitpicker would have wanted to see more activity on the glass, but Flagg was unsurprisingly the best rookie in Vegas. VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers: Edgecombe only played two summer games, and only one of them came in Vegas, where he made 4 of 14 against Washington. Nonetheless, Edgecombe also passed the eye test with his burst and athleticism and filled the stat sheet with 15 rebounds, eight assists, four steals and three blocks in his 60 summer-league minutes. Shooting will be a swing skill for him, but he showed he can contribute in enough ways to survive cold snaps from the perimeter. Nique Clifford, Sacramento Kings: Clifford played in all six of the Kings' summer games as they went to the final before losing, and the 24th pick of the NBA Draft was consistently productive in them all. While his 11-of-24 mark on 3s in his Vegas stint might be an outlier, Clifford stood out as a plus defender and rebounder (12.5 percent rebound rate) who also posted 25 assists in his six games. For somebody who profiles as a glue-guy role player, he looked the part. Brooks Barnhizer, Thunder: The best second-round pick in Vegas was this guy, a rugged wing from Northwestern who somehow played in eight summer-league games without being shut down. His activity stats were off the charts, with 27 'stocks' (steals + blocks) in his eight games and a 12.5 percent rebound rate despite standing 6-5. Shooting questions dogged Barnhizer his whole career and will likely determine whether he makes it, but the 44th pick in the draft showed enough to be an interesting energy guy at worst. Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets: World champs! Knueppel started his summer with a 1-for-8 stinker against the Utah Jazz but built up from there, leading the Hornets to the summer crown with a 21-point effort in the title game. What stood out about Knueppel was nearly half his shots were 2s; he doesn't need to play as a perimeter specialist. He also sprinkled in 19 assists in his five games, showing nice functionality as a secondary creator. Kyle Filipowski, Utah Jazz: Though abetted somewhat by summer league's more liberal foul-out rules (he finished with eight personals in two different games, because in Vegas you get 10 before fouling out), Filipowski, who was named summer-league MVP on Monday, was probably the best second-year player I saw. He dropped a 32-6-5 line on Charlotte and 35 points and 11 rebounds on San Antonio before Utah shut him down. His launch rate from 3 (23 attempts in his final three games) is an encouraging sign that he'll lean harder into his stretch capability for the regular season. Advertisement Terrence Shannon Jr., Minnesota Timberwolves: Shannon got in three summer games before the Wolves shut him down, scoring 68 points in 88 minutes and standing out athletically. Of note is how often he launched from 3, taking 26 of his 42 attempts from beyond the arc. If Shannon can become a reliable volume 3-point shooter, it's much easier to see him filling the wing minutes vacated in Minnesota by Nickeil Alexander-Walker's departure. Ron Holland Jr., Detroit Pistons: The 7-for-15 shooting from 3 may or may not be a small-sample fluke, but the rest of his stat sheet was men-among-boys stuff. Holland poked 12 steals and garnered 26 free-throw attempts in just three games for a fun, spicy Detroit outfit. Ajay Mitchell, Thunder: OKC's second-year pro showed a lot of encouraging signs as he was usually the best player on the court during his six summer games. Mitchell created offense with ease and had high rates of rebounds and defensive events to go with a smoother-looking stroke than he showed a year ago. Nitpickers will point out a turnover rate that was still too high. Jaylon Tyson, Cleveland Cavaliers: Tyson wasn't dominant because he didn't shoot particularly well, but the second-year wing flashed some serious point forward potential by issuing 20 assists in just three games. As a secondary shot creator on the wing, he could have an opening for minutes with the departure of Ty Jerome. This is now his second straight strong summer league; perhaps he can convert that into more regular-season action on a stacked Cavs roster. Tolu Smith, Pistons: Smith is a pretty mobile defender for a big and showed enough skill as an offensive player to seem functional at the NBA level. He had a 19.5 percent rebound rate and 8 percent block rate at summer league, both among the best figures in Vegas. The Mississippi State product is on a two-way contract with Detroit after being one of the best players in the G League last season. The Pistons are well-stocked at center, but file this name away for later in the season or next year if he changes teams. He's an NBA player. Nae'Qwan Tomlin, Cavaliers: Is this anything? The Cavs' two-way was one of the best players on the floor in Vegas, finishing with a sizzling 31.2 PER highlighted by five offensive rebounds a game, tallying 15 'stocks' in 131 minutes and launching six 3s a game as a stretch four. Coming off a strong rookie season in the G League, the 24-year-old Tomlin might finally be harnessing the talent that had folks at Kansas State and Memphis so excited about his upside, especially if he can keep letting it rip from 3. Drew Timme, Brooklyn Nets: The undersized center finished last year as a roster player in Brooklyn and put up several solid games while the Nets tanked to the finish. He's still under contract on a non-guaranteed deal. Based on his summer, the Nets should figure out a way to keep him. Advertisement Timme suffered the unfortunate fate of being hit in the head by a pass from teammate Danny Wolf during his first game but recovered nicely from there, including a 30-point game against the Washington Wizards' Alex Sarr and a 24-point, 10-rebound outing against the New York Knicks. Perhaps most impressively, for a guy who had the ball in his hands a ton, Timme had just five turnovers playing 92 minutes. Curtis Jones, Denver Nuggets (signed with the Nuggets on Saturday): Jones was the best undrafted player at summer league, finishing his five-game stint with a 29.7 PER that was more than just outlier shooting percentage; he also averaged two assists for every turnover, scored at a high rate and posted an 11.3 percent rebound rate as a 6-3 guard. The Nuggets have had a pretty successful player development program over the past few years and could use help in the backcourt; I'm interested to see if they can turn him into something rotationally useful by season's end. P.J. Hall, Hornets (signed with the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday): Hall was the best performer on Charlotte's title-winning team but couldn't play in the final because the Grizzlies scooped him up on a two-way deal. He played in Denver last year on a two-way, but the Nuggets opted not to bring him back. While undersized for the center position and perhaps not skilled enough for power forward, Hall put up big-guy stats in Vegas that stood out. He had the second-highest block rate and fifth-highest rebound rate of any player this summer. Given that he also had a strong G League season last year, Hall should help Memphis. Daniss Jenkins, Pistons: Jenkins played on a two-way with Detroit last year and has a qualifying offer to return. He showed why the Pistons should want him back with a strong summer campaign highlighted by his harassing full-court defense, most notably in a matchup against Houston's 2024 lottery pick Reed Sheppard. The other part that stood out was 27 assists against eight turnovers. For a guy trying to stick as a third point guard, that's the type of ratio that could get him into a roster contract. Antonio Reeves, New Orleans Pelicans: Reeves was waived from his guaranteed contract by New Orleans for reasons that aren't entirely clear, but he was still on their summer roster. As only can happen with the Pelicans, he was also clearly their best player, posting a 23.0 PER in five games despite struggling in his usual specialty of 3-point shooting. Reeves made only 5 of 16 from 3 but was efficient everywhere else. He had only three turnovers for the summer and shot 17 of 17 from the line. Reeves, 24, has athletic limitations, but he also shot 39.5 percent from 3 in his rookie season and didn't look overmatched in his minutes. He's still two-way eligible, and I'm very interested to see where he lands. Jordan Miller, LA Clippers: Another one in the awkward 'unceremoniously waived but still on the summer team' category, Miller is probably too good for a two-way but could end up back on one to start the season in Los Angeles. As a third-year player, he's supposed to kick everyone's butt at summer league, and that he did, to the tune of a 25.2 PER, a 13.1 percent rebound rate and a mammoth free-throw rate. Call him Vegas DeRozan; over the last two summer leagues, he's earned 80 trips to the line in just 10 games. (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; photos: Garrett Ellwood, Ryan Stetz / Getty Images)
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sources: LeBron James retirement buzz gets louder at NBA Summer League
The post Sources: LeBron James retirement buzz gets louder at NBA Summer League appeared first on ClutchPoints. LAS VEGAS — When LeBron James was spotted with his wife, Savannah, and daughter, Zhuri, in the tunnel of the Thomas & Mack Center ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers' second NBA Summer League game on Saturday, the entire NBA media landscape was sent ablaze amid all the speculation about his future. Aside from many in the arena rushing to get a snapshot of LeBron, there were plenty who began asking why the 21-time All-Star was in attendance fresh off his vacation in Puerto Rico, especially given all the questions about whether he would remain with the Lakers as he nears his eventual NBA retirement. For starters, Bronny James is once again headlining the Lakers' Summer League team, and LeBron has consistently prioritized being an exceptional father over everything else. He, Savannah, and the James family have always attended Bronny's games, especially ever since he suffered cardiac arrest in the summer of 2023. Another key reason why LeBron was in Las Vegas, contrary to popular belief on social media, is that he is still on Los Angeles' roster. Ever since James opted into his $52.6 million player option, with Rich Paul's not-so-subtle comments about frustrations with the Lakers setting in, his future has been one of the main talking points around the NBA. This noise grew louder on Monday night when LeBron was once again in the building with his family to watch Bronny and the Lakers play. After emerging from the tunnel, where he shared a moment with San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams, James made his way onto the court. There, he was greeted by thunderous applause from the fans inside the Thomas & Mack Center before giving Bronny some pregame words of encouragement. Then came the moment everyone had been waiting to see: how LeBron interacted with his teammates and Lakers executive Rob Pelinka. All was normal on this front. James was smiling and laughing while talking with Austin Reaves, mainly about his new passion for golf, and all the discourse about LeBron not reaching out to or talking to Deandre Ayton was put to bed when he greeted the team's new center. Before sitting down with his wife and daughter, LeBron made sure to shake everyone's hand on the Lakers' sideline, including Pelinka at the end of the line. The Lakers executive seemed to be in a great mood when greeting James. Nothing was out of the ordinary here. LeBron was clearly having a 'proud father moment' with his family before Bronny and the Lakers played their Summer League game, and his body language did not suggest or tell the tale of a player trying to distance himself from his organization. Even so, speculation ran rampant online about what all of this meant for James' future, prompting many fabricated and inaccurate 'reports,' if that's what we want to call them, of a trade involving LeBron being close and multiple teams actively reaching out to try and trade for him during Summer League. Those trade rumors first came up when James opted into his player option, and nothing ever came of them. The truth behind LeBron James trade rumors Los Angeles has not entertained any trade talks regarding James to this point, nor has LeBron discussed a potential trade with the Lakers, multiple league sources confirmed to ClutchPoints at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. These 'rumored' trade talks have also been shot down by The Athletic, along with the crazy thought that James could be bought out of his contract. There was a lot of speculation about the Dallas Mavericks being at the forefront of James trade talks, yet the two sides have not even discussed such a deal, sources said. This notion was first shot down by Kevin Gray Jr. of DLLS Sports. Other teams that have been connected to James in trade talks previously, like the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, have also held no real trade talks with the Lakers this offseason. The Cavs can't even make a trade for LeBron work, if they wanted it to, since they are the only active second-apron team in the NBA and are not allowed to aggregate salaries. Although the Warriors have been heavily linked to LeBron in recent years, even going as far as to pursue him before the 2024 NBA trade deadline, there has been zero traction on this front, sources said. If the opportunity became available, Golden State would obviously entertain the thought of pursuing James and pairing him with Stephen Curry at the end of their respective careers. But that's the thing: James doesn't appear to be going anywhere. LeBron opted into his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, as any sane person having the opportunity to add this kind of money to their bank account would do, and all indications point in the direction of him honoring his commitment to the Lakers. This is also the widespread consensus from rival teams at NBA Summer League, including those who have inquired about James' trade availability in the past. Throughout his entire career, James, and specifically Paul, has made sure to be actively involved in the team's plan. Various organizational decisions, especially regarding roster construction, have been heavily influenced by LeBron and his agent. This was true during his time with the Miami Heat, during his two stints with the Cavaliers, and recently with the Lakers. However, Los Angeles has not operated in James or Klutch Sports' best interest in recent years. If you need any proof of this, just look at the Luka Doncic trade and the fact that the Lakers handed the 26-year-old superstar the keys to the franchise, even though James is still the face of the NBA at 40 years old. It is clear to see where frustrations have mounted for LeBron and Paul in recent years. Without direct input on roster decisions and the team's overall pursuit of a championship, James has been pushed to the side in a sense by the Lakers. Naturally, this leads to trade rumors and theories about whether James has played his final game in a Lakers uniform. Retirement talks surrounding LeBron James intensify For those hoping LeBron will be traded this offseason or finish his career with another team, you may not want to go all-in on that thought. Despite there being obvious frustrations, James has always intended to retire as a member of the Lakers, and this remains the franchise's goal as well, league sources said. Nobody expects James to be anywhere but in Los Angeles by the time the 2025-26 NBA season starts, and there is a sense from some that he would even sign a new contract with the team to ultimately retire with the Lakers, according to ClutchPoints Lakers insider Anthony Irwin. But that is where the big question of LeBron's eventual retirement has come up at NBA Summer League. Many around the league are beginning to connect the dots that James may not sign another contract with the Lakers because he may not sign another contract at all. Everyone knows that retirement is on the horizon for LeBron, and multiple agents, scouts, and rival team representatives shared with ClutchPoints that they believe James is gearing up to announce he will retire after the 2025-26 season. 'Haven't we always talked about Year 23 being his last?' one Western Conference scout told ClutchPoints. 'It is clear he isn't happy with the way things are going with the Lakers, and this would be the best time for him to go out on his own terms. Not to mention, we are out here (in Las Vegas), and the worst-kept secret regarding expansion is that LeBron wants in on the team that will be coming here.' This is the hot discussion around the league right now: Could Year 23 actually be LeBron's final NBA season? While nobody has a definitive answer to this burning question, the belief at NBA Summer League is that James could realistically make this announcement in the coming weeks as the league enters the dog days of August. ESPN's Dave McMenamin speculated about this possibility on Wednesday, only adding fuel to the retirement fire. Neither the Lakers nor James and Paul began discussions about a possible extension this offseason. The fact that nobody is bringing up the idea of an extension, plus LeBron telling ESPN that he has 'nothing to talk about' when turning down a live interview during Summer League, is notable. Hinting at retirement is nothing new for LeBron, as he has been doing so each of the last handful of offseasons. What makes this summer different is that the team's philosophy for winning right now is much different than that of James', and for the first time in years, there is no clarity on what LeBron actually wants. On the flip side of things, why would James retire, especially considering that he wants to go out on top and compete for a championship? That is why there are still a handful of league personnel who believe all of this talk is just what LeBron wants to stir the pot a little bit and put pressure on the Lakers to make title-contending moves right now. LeBron has stated in the past, famously at the 2023 ESPYS, that he will keep playing until he 'can't give it everything on the floor.' Last season, James averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game, resulting in him finishing sixth in the MVP voting. It is pretty clear that the Lakers star is still giving it his all on the floor. But does LeBron still want to do this, especially with the Lakers, when other opportunities are coming his way? Aside from his expected involvement with creating an expansion team in Las Vegas, James has invested himself in a lot of other business ventures. Not to mention, Amazon has also been pushing hard to have LeBron become the face of their NBA coverage once he retires, sources confirmed to ClutchPoints. Front Office Sports first reported on Amazon's long-term interest in James. With a whole new avenue of life presenting itself to him, perhaps this is the right time for James to go out on his terms. Only time will tell what the league's all-time leading scorer decides. Related: LeBron James in 1-man club after Bradley Beal's Clippers move Related: NBA rumors: Cavs, Mavericks, Knicks among teams hoping for LeBron James buyout
