Baylor Professional Athletes

Two Baylor alumni are commanding attention in NBA preseason circles — and for very different reasons. VJ Edgecombe is thriving inside Philadelphia's new superteam infrastructure, while Yves Missi is carrying the weight of outsized defensive expectations in New Orleans.

Edgecombe: The Bear in the Room on Philly's Death Lineup

The Philadelphia 76ers unveiled their star-studded starting five — LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe — for the first time Thursday against the Brooklyn Nets, and the Baylor product looked right at home. James wasted no time christening the partnership, threading a no-look dime to Edgecombe early in the first quarter, a moment that quickly circulated across NBA social media.

Edgecombe's path to this moment has been fast. Among the top-nine picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, he carried one of the lowest collegiate usage rates — his pre-draft pitch was never about shot creation. But he erupted for 34 points in his NBA debut, and Gilbert Arenas has already publicly explained why Edgecombe's off-ball instincts make him a natural complement to a roster full of creators. An early preseason win over the reigning champion New York Knicks — 120-97, with Edgecombe and Jaylen Brown sharing the floor — added fuel to the belief that a real bromance is forming in the City of Brotherly Love.

Off the court, Edgecombe generated a different kind of headline. He stated publicly that representing the Bahamas at the Olympics would mean more to him than an NBA title — comments that raised eyebrows among some 76ers fans. He also quipped after his preseason debut alongside James that it was simply "different," a line that landed with reporters covering the team. The sophomore guard doesn't appear short on personality to match his game.

Missi: The Next Hakeem? Not So Fast — But Don't Sleep on It

The expectations surrounding Yves Missi in New Orleans are getting loud. The Pelicans — and Zion Williamson himself, who has reportedly witnessed the difference firsthand in practice — believe Missi has the tools to develop into a Hakeem Olajuwon-level Defensive Player of the Year candidate. That's a specific and enormous comp, but it reflects genuine organizational conviction in the Cameroonian center following a standout summer on the international stage.

The early returns, however, gave pause. Missi was widely described as disappointing in his preseason debut on Tuesday, a worrying sign for a player being asked to anchor the Pelicans' defensive identity. One underwhelming preseason outing shouldn't reframe the larger arc — Missi also drew attention during training camp for his rim-rattling athleticism, with teammates ranking him among the team's top dunking candidates — but it's a reminder that the gap between summer hype and October production is real.

For a Pelicans team still trying to build something durable around Williamson, Missi's development as a defensive anchor is not a luxury. It's central to their plan.

The Bigger Picture

Baylor's NBA pipeline has rarely looked deeper. Edgecombe is already a name-brand piece on one of the league's most-watched rosters. Missi is being asked to be a franchise cornerstone before his third season. Neither role is small, and neither player got there by accident. Waco has reason to watch October closely.

VJ Edgecombe Isn't Starstruck in Philly

The 76ers loaded up this offseason — LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey — and somewhere in that constellation of stars, a Baylor product is making himself impossible to ignore.

VJ Edgecombe arrived at Philadelphia's training camp with the confidence of someone who didn't read the part of the script where a rookie defers to legends. According to ClutchPoints, Edgecombe "has that dog in him" and hasn't hesitated to bark orders at LeBron James during camp. On a roster where Jaylen Brown is deflecting questions about who the "alpha" is, Edgecombe is apparently too busy competing to worry about hierarchy.

The 76ers enter 2026-27 with legitimate title expectations, and Edgecombe — buried in the headlines all offseason while the franchise made blockbuster moves — appears determined to remind everyone he belongs. For Baylor fans, it's exactly the kind of scene they expected when the kid from the Bahamas turned a standout freshman year in Waco into a lottery pick.

Drew Timme's Roster Fight in Minnesota

Not every Baylor story this camp is about stardom — some are about survival, in the best way.

Drew Timme is one of three new signings the Minnesota Timberwolves brought in on camp deals, alongside KJ Martin and fellow Baylor alum Norchad Omier. Per Sports Illustrated, all three are competing for final roster spots, with no guarantees. The outlet ranked the trio by their chances of sticking around, putting the pressure on Timme to produce in a short window. Minnesota isn't handing out anything — Timme will need to carve out a role against an established frontcourt with his old-school post game and hustle.

Omier is in the same boat, making this a rare Baylor-on-Baylor roster battle with real stakes attached.

Elsewhere in the League

The Bears' reach across the NBA is striking even beyond the headliners.

In New Orleans, Yves Missi is drawing renewed investment from Pelicans head coach Jamahl Mosley. Sports Illustrated reports that Missi's defensive growth is already reshaping the team's thinking about its long-term answer at center — notable momentum for a young big heading into a pivotal season.

In Utah, Keyonte George is generating buzz at Jazz camp for reasons that may surprise casual observers. The second-year guard has found something specific about this season that has him genuinely energized, per Sports Illustrated, as the Jazz continue to build around their young core.

And in Miami, Davion Mitchell is entering camp with a compelling backstory fueling his development. Sports Illustrated details how a Filipino mentor played a key role in shaping the skill set the Heat now need from him at guard — a reminder that player development rarely happens in a vacuum.

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Six Baylor alumni across six franchises, from title contenders to rebuilding squads, from camp locks to roster longshots. The Bears' pipeline into the NBA has never looked deeper — or more interesting to track.

Keyonte George Cashes In

Baylor's most important NBA story this week has a lot of zeroes attached to it. Keyonte George officially locked in a five-year, $157.5 million contract extension with the Utah Jazz, cementing the former Bear as the unquestioned face of Utah's rebuild. Jazz executive Austin Ainge spoke publicly about the timing, making clear the organization didn't need more convincing — George's summer performance sealed the deal before anyone had second thoughts.

Head coach Will Hardy echoed the front office's confidence, framing George's extension not just as a business decision but as a cultural one. The Jazz are building around him, and everyone in Salt Lake City appears to be on the same page.

The pairing that has the league buzzing: George alongside No. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson. George himself has been effusive in his praise of the rookie, singling out one quality in particular that stood out during early workouts. That kind of veteran buy-in for a top draft pick is exactly what a rebuilding franchise wants to see — and Utah also has Lauri Markkanen and second-year forward Ace Bailey in the mix, giving the Jazz a legitimate core to build around.

Not everyone is purely optimistic, though. ESPN's Brian Windhorst offered a pointed cautionary tale after the extension was announced, invoking the ghost of Kyrie Irving's tenure in Cleveland — a reminder that locking up a young star doesn't guarantee the partnership holds. It's a warning Jazz fans will want to file away, even if the current mood in Utah is celebratory.

Elsewhere in the Bear Nation

Outside of Salt Lake City, several Baylor alumni are drawing attention heading into the 2026-27 season.

VJ Edgecombe (76ers) is generating legitimate buzz in Philadelphia — and not just among Sixers fans. LeBron James, now in his first season with the 76ers, went on the record calling Edgecombe "beyond his years," citing intel he gathered before signing with the team. James specifically noted that Edgecombe had taken on real leadership responsibilities last season, beyond what his age might suggest. Multiple outlets have since named the Baylor guard a breakout candidate for the coming year, a significant vote of confidence for a player entering just his second NBA season surrounded by an all-star lineup of James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, and Tyrese Maxey.

Davion Mitchell (Heat) is taking a different kind of offseason narrative into camp. Pat Riley reportedly demanded the Miami starting point guard lose weight this summer — a Riley-esque motivational intervention that signals the Heat see Mitchell as a critical piece alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. Whether that offseason grind translates to a breakout role in Miami remains the open question, with best- and worst-case scenarios both very much in play.

Yves Missi (Pelicans) is being framed as the player with the widest range of outcomes on New Orleans' roster — a potential hero or scapegoat depending on how his third NBA season unfolds. That kind of high-variance billing reflects both his upside and the uncertainty still surrounding a Pelicans team in flux.

For Baylor, George's extension is the headline that will echo longest — a former one-and-done Bear now entrusted with carrying a franchise. The rest of the alumni class is quietly stacking up résumés of their own.

Keyonte George Locks In $157.5M with the Jazz

Baylor's most prominent NBA storyline this week wasn't subtle: Keyonte George agreed to a five-year, $157.5 million extension with the Utah Jazz, keeping him in Salt Lake City through the 2031-32 season. The deal carries an annual average value of $31.5 million — team-friendly enough for a rebuilding Jazz franchise, generous enough to signal that George is the cornerstone they're building around.

The numbers behind the contract are hard to argue with. George averaged a career-high 23.6 points and 6.1 assists in 2025-26, making him one of just nine NBA players last season to hit those dual benchmarks. That's elite company for a fourth-year guard still on his rookie deal. Utah was wise to move fast.

The extension locks George in alongside No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson as the Jazz's backcourt of the future — a clear signal that, despite a 22-60 record last season, Utah is building something deliberate rather than spinning its wheels. For Baylor, it's validation that the pipeline to the NBA isn't just producing players — it's producing franchise cornerstones.

Davion Mitchell Steps Into the Miami Spotlight

While George was signing checks in Utah, Davion Mitchell was generating heat of an entirely different kind in Miami. The former Baylor guard is now a starting-caliber piece on what might be the most hyped roster in the Eastern Conference, a Heat squad that added Giannis Antetokounmpo, Klay Thompson, Bobby Portis, and Tim Hardaway Jr. this offseason alongside holdovers Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, and Mitchell himself.

Mitchell hasn't been quiet about his expectations. He's already declared the Heat "champions" amid the Giannis frenzy, and he's been publicly vocal about the team's defensive identity — framing a potential Defensive Player of the Year run as a central motivator heading into 2026-27. He's also spoken about Antetokounmpo's winning mentality up close, describing it as contagious in a way that's raising the standard for everyone in the locker room.

Not everyone is buying the Heat's ceiling — an ex-NBA center called Miami's offseason "the most overrated" in the league, and at least one former Heat champion has suggested Mitchell's expanded role could be a vulnerability rather than a strength. The skepticism is real. But so is the opportunity: Mitchell is being counted on as a primary ballhandler and defensive anchor on a legitimate contender, a role that would have been hard to project even two years ago.

The Bigger Picture for Baylor

Two former Bears, two entirely different NBA trajectories — and both in the middle of the biggest moments of their young careers. George is the face of a franchise in rebuild mode, staking his prime years on Utah's long game. Mitchell is chasing a ring with one of the league's splashiest rosters.

Baylor's NBA footprint spans 17 active players across the league this season. The George extension and Mitchell's starring Heat role are the loudest signals yet that Scott Drew's program doesn't just send players to the NBA — it sends players who stick.