By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net    

With the National Basketball Association’s 2025 Draft all set to take place tomorrow, Bahamian Chavano “Buddy” Hield said he’s excited to see what happens with fellow Bahamian Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe.

Edgecombe, a 19-year-old native of Bimini who just completed his freshman year with the Baylor Bears, is expected to be one of the top five picks during the draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Hield, at 32, is one of three Bahamian born players currently in the NBA. But during his summer basketball camp at George Town Park in Exuma, Hield said Edgecombe is the next best prospect The Bahamas has to offer.

“He’s come a long way, but I think he’s the best prospect that The Bahamas has had since Deandre Ayton,” Hield said. “He’s a wonderful talent, but he’s also a great kid.

“I’m just happy for him, I’m just happy for his family, happy for The Bahamas. I think there’s only so many years I can play basketball, but he’s the next one who is going to help propel us to the next level.”

Edgecombe, a guard, is currently pegged as the number four pick in the draft, but could go up as high as No.3. The top pick is expected to be Cooper Flagg, a forward from Duke, followed by guards Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, both from Rutgers. At No.5 is Tre Johnson, a guard from Texas.

Going into the draft, Edgecombe is considered the most explosive player who complements his considerable upside as a playmaker defensively with an evolving perimeter skill level and feel for the game.

But how he operates on and off the ball at Baylor with his ball-handling and ability to play with pace and make shots off the dribble, are listed as areas of concern.

If he goes at No.3, he could land in Philadelphia where the 76ers could use his skills next to Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr in the backcourt. The fourth pick belongs to the Charlotte Hornets.

The top two picks go to the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs.

Ayton, 26, was the last Bahamian lottery pick, going as the first overall pick in the class of 2018 with the Phoenix Suns out of Arizona.

The following year in 2019, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and in 2021, he helped the Suns to get to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1993. They eventually lost to the Milwaukee Bucks. 

But on September 27, 2023, Ayton was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers alongside Jrue Holiday as part of a three-team trade that sent Damian Lillard to the Bucks and Grayson Allen, Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson to Phoenix.

Ayton was only the second Bahamian to be drafted as the No.1 pick. The first was Mychal “Sweet Bells” Thompson, who broke the barrier as the first foreign born player to be selected No.1 by the Trail Blazers out of Minnesota. 

After eight seasons there, he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in 1987 and finally made his final home with the Los Angeles Lakers in a trade in 1987 where he went on to win two NBA titles back-to-back in 1987 and 1988.

Thompson, 70, now serves as a colour commentator for the Lakers. But he has been joined by his son, American born Klay Thompson, who won three NBA titles with the Golden State Warriors, one of just five father-son duos to achieve that feat.

Hield, now in his second season with the Warriors after playing for the New Orleans Pelicans (2016-2017), Sacramento Kings (2017-2022), Indiana Pacers (2022-2024) and the 76ers (2024), is playing in the NBA with Ayton and Kai Jones, who is with the Mavericks.

Hield, a native of Grand Bahama who was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2017 and won the NBA three-point shooting contest during the 2020 NBA All-Star Classic, said the future looks bright for The Bahamas to develop more Bahamian players.

“VJ is the next one and after that, there will be more after him,” Hield said. “So we’re just hoping he can inspire more to follow in his footsteps. 

“But I feel like he’s the one that is going to make it to the top.”

In addition to Thompdon winning his two titles, The Bahamas also watched as Rick Fox clinched three titles with the “Showtime” Lakers from 2000-2002 after he was traded from the Boston Celtics in 1997. He was drafted by the Celtics with the 24th pick in the first round of the 1991 draft. 

Eleuthera native Dexter Cambridge also played in the NBA with the Mavericks in 1993 out of Texas and Ian Lockhart from Tennessee played with the Suns in 1990.

Eric Gordon, who has played with The Bahamas men’s national basketball team, is the other in the NBA. He is listed as of Bahamian descent.

Hield, who played with Gordon, Ayton and Edgecombe in The Bahamas’ bid to qualify for the Olympic Games last year, said he will be heading to New York on Wednesday to support Edgecombe in his latest venture to become the next Bahamian to play in the NBA.