PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 26: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts with VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers after a dunk during the second quarter against the Miami Heat at Xfinity Mobile Arena on February 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)

The 2025-26 NBA season will ultimately be remembered as a disappointment for the Philadelphia 76ers, as it resulted in yet another second-round exit for the team and left fans feeling frustrated.

However, it wasn’t all bad for Philadelphia. There were a couple of clear silver linings for the franchise, and the two biggest were both based in the backcourt.

The Emergence of Rookie Stud V.J. Edgecombe

GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 04: Vj Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives around Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks during the third quarter in Game One of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 04, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

The biggest silver lining for the Sixers during the ’25-26 season was the play of rookie guard V.J. Edgecombe. The Sixers selected Edgecombe with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft last June, and he surpassed any expectations that the organization could have had for him.

Edgecombe, 20, slid into a starting spot for the Sixers right for the jump and he immediately began providing the team with valuable two-way production. He exploded for 34 points against the Boston Celtics in his NBA debut and he consistently displayed a feel for the game that belies his age.

During the regular season, Edgecombe started in 75 games for Philadelphia and averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals in 35 minutes per performance. Sure, he had some struggles, as all rookies do, but he flashed tantalizing potential on both sides of the floor, and his teammates noticed.

“VJ is up next,” Joel Embiid said of Edgecombe during his season-ending media availability. “Philly got a good one in him. He’s the guy. I’m telling you guys, that guy is something different. And this was only year one, year two is going to be better, year three, even better, but he has a chance to be extremely special.”

There are obvious areas of improvement for Edgecombe, including consistency from beyond the arc, but after what he showed as a rookie on both ends of the floor, the Sixers should feel very good about having him on the roster moving forward.

The Continued Development of Tyrese Maxey

GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – DECEMBER 20: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts against the Dallas Mavericks in the first half at Xfinity Mobile Arena on December 20, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

The other major silver lining for the Sixers was the continued development of Tyrese Maxey. The star guard has improved every single season that he’s been in the league, and ’25-26 was no different.

Maxey turned in his best season from a statistical perspective and averaged career-highs in points (28.3), assists (6.6) and rebounds (4.1) per performance. He finished fifth in the league in points per game and was named an All-Star starter for the first time in his career. He could also be named to an All-NBA Team for the first time.

At 25 years old, Maxey is likely just entering his prime and as a result he should have a whole lot of electric basketball ahead of him.

With Maxey and Edgecombe comprising the backcourt, there’s still reason for optimism for the Sixers moving forward, even though the ’25-26 season was ultimately a disappointment.