Justin Edwards seizes rookie opportunity with Sixers, and sets himself up for long-term role
After going undrafted last summer, Edwards parlayed a two-way contract into a standard deal. The former Imhotep star impressed with his savvy feel on both ends of the floor.
When asked on April 1 what he hoped to accomplish during the regular season’s final two weeks, Justin Edwards was already eager to begin his summer workout regimen.
The 76ers rookie wing said he wanted to add about 5 pounds of muscle to better withstand the rigorous NBA schedule. And he wanted to improve his shot mechanics after making 45.5% of his attempts from the field and 36.3% from beyond the arc in 2024-25.
“Sharpen a little bit of everything,” Edwards added that night at his locker inside Madison Square Garden, in an appropriate reference to his all-around game.
Edwards was a rare success story during this overwhelmingly ugly Sixers season, allowing him to develop while logging plenty of unexpected game minutes. The Philly native and former Imhotep star went undrafted out of Kentucky last summer, then signed a two-way contract with the Sixers that would split his time with the NBA team and the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats. Edwards then stepped into a Sixers rotation role as injuries mounted, displaying a savvy feel on both ends of the floor that is typically uncommon in first-year players.
And after elevating himself to a standard contract — and averaging 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 44 games to put himself in consideration to make an NBA All-Rookie team — Edwards has set himself up to be a long-term role player for the Sixers.
“I was able to get an opportunity early,” the forward said during his final media session on April 13. “I just made the best out of the opportunity, and it all worked out for me.”
Edwards was part of a strong Sixers rookie class that included Jared McCain, who was an early front-runner for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award before a season-ending knee injury in mid-December, and Adem Bona, who flashed bundles of athleticism and potential with more playing time down the stretch.
It also was an impressive personal resurgence for the 21-year-old Edwards, who was once the country’s top-rated high school recruit but acknowledged he “was really negative with myself” throughout a disappointing college season at Kentucky.
So he prioritized creating a more positive mindset when he turned pro — and received jolts of belief from his new teammates. Kelly Oubre Jr. took a quick interest, calling Edwards his little brother. Edwards’ home locker was next to Kyle Lowry, a Philly basketball legend and 19-year NBA veteran. And Paul George — after whom Edwards said he tried to model his game — encouraged coach Nick Nurse to insert Edwards into games alongside the nine-time All-Star.
“That meant a lot to me,” Edwards said. “That boosted my confidence when I was out there with those guys.”
When Edwards initially began working with the team’s player development staff last summer, the Sixers focused on him playing through hits and dropping his shoulder to use his 6-foot-6, 210-pound frame to finish around the rim. He then received his first legitimate rotation minutes on a post-holidays road trip, where his first defensive assignment was longtime professional scorer DeMar DeRozan of the Kings.
That foreshadowed the perimeter stars Edwards would guard for the rest of the season, ranging from LeBron James to Jalen Brunson to Kevin Durant.
“I don’t really think nothing of it during the game,” Edwards said in January of those defensive assignments. “ … I’m just like, ‘Alright, what can I do to get a stop?’ But I have my moments after the games, like, ‘Whoa, I just played against LeBron.’”
Offensively, Nurse and teammates praised Edwards’ reliable playing style — that he shoots when open and passes when he is not. Though wildly simple in concept, the execution can be challenging for young players in the thick of NBA games that feel sped up. But Nurse appreciated that Edwards understood floor spacing, and that “the ball finds him for shots because he’s in the right place.”
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“The best thing is he doesn’t force it very often when the defense rotates to help,” Nurse added. “Or when he’s got the next quick pass, he makes it. That is very important, too. I think especially [so] when you’re trying to piece a team together and get guys to play certain roles.”
Edwards credits that natural feel to his longtime individual workouts, during which he mimics moving without the ball. This summer, he will add drills he hopes will help him become more of a knockdown shooter. He recently self-assessed that “every time I miss short, it’s because my shoulders are back” and said that his “follow-through sometimes [goes] all over the place.”
“I’m just trying to focus on making it go straight the whole time,” he added.
Edwards has a team-friendly $2 million team option in his contract for next season. Should the Sixers return to full health in 2025-26, Edwards’ everyday role would likely diminish.
Still, Edwards’ NBA readiness emerged as a rare pleasant surprise during this woeful Sixers season. Just ask Lowry, who, after that April 1 game against the Knicks, called Edwards a “great hidden gem.”
“He’s a professional,” Lowry said. “He wants to get better. He’s passionate about the game. And at the end of the day, he’s just going to continue to get better with every opportunity he’s been having.”