Sacrificing a rising star like VJ Edgecombe for a costly Donovan Mitchell trade risks Philadelphia’s long-term flexibility. Building around internal growth offers a more sustainable path to contention.
Bleacher Report listed the Philadelphia 76ers as a possible Donovan Mitchell landing spot, with a proposed deal sending Mitchell and Max Strus to Philadelphia for VJ Edgecombe, Paul George, and the No. 22 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
On paper, it is easy to understand why the idea exists. Mitchell is a star-level guard, Philadelphia would get off George’s contract, and a Mitchell-Tyrese Maxey backcourt would be one of the most explosive scoring duos in the league.
The Sixers should still avoid it.
The biggest reason is Edgecombe. Swartz even noted that Edgecombe is “probably untouchable” after a strong rookie season in which he averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 steals while starting all 75 of his games. That is not the kind of player Philadelphia should rush to move.
Edgecombe gives the Sixers a path toward building something more organic. He is young, athletic, productive, and has already shown two-way potential. His downhill pressure, shot creation, and growth as a shooter make him exactly the kind of player Philadelphia has struggled to find around its stars. Trading him now would mean giving up a major piece of the future before the team even sees what he can become next to Maxey.
The money also matters. Mitchell is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract and would be eligible for a four-year, $272 million extension, according to Bleacher Report. That would push his next five years to $322 million, or roughly $64.4 million per season. For a Sixers team already dealing with Joel Embiid’s massive contract and recent roster-building issues, committing that much money to another guard would be a massive risk.
A Maxey-Mitchell backcourt would be fun. It would be fast, explosive, and capable of huge scoring nights. But it would also be expensive, small defensively, and possibly redundant in terms of creation. Maxey should be empowered as the franchise’s lead guard, not forced to share the backcourt with another supermax-level scorer at the cost of Edgecombe’s future.
The Sixers have chased shortcuts before. This should not be another one. If Philadelphia wants to build something sustainable, the smarter path is to keep Maxey and Edgecombe together, draft well, develop internally, and avoid paying top dollar for a player who may not raise the ceiling high enough to justify the cost. Mitchell is great, but the price isn't.
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Wes Dixon is a contributing writer to 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected].
