The Rookie of the Year conversation feels like a done deal before the first tip. Cooper Flagg, Duke’s golden boy, No. 1 pick, 82-rated in NBA 2K26, was practically handed the trophy the moment he touched down in Dallas. But a bold take from Locked on Warriors threw a wrench into the script: not Cooper Flagg, but VJ Edgecombe , the high-flying, two-way guard out of Baylor, could walk away with the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year award.

“ VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers wins Rookie of the Year. That’s a take, I believe. Not Cooper Flagg. VJ Edgecombe. Reminds me a bit of Dwyane Wade if he can work on his mid-range, but he’s got some bounce, man,” said Chuck Walter on Locked on Warriors with NBA Hot Takes . A Dwyane Wade comp isn’t thrown around lightly. But

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