Justin Edwards reportedly signing three-year contract with Philadelphia 76ers

Not many would have guessed Justin Edwards would be Kentucky’s best NBA rookie during the 2024-25 season, but that’s exactly what happened — and now he’s turned his strong play into a multi-year deal.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Philadelphia 76ers intend to sign Edwards to a new three-year deal, two of them including fully guaranteed money. The Sixers held a $1.9 million team option with the former Wildcat, but declined that in order to keep him around for the foreseeable future. Edwards will earn $2 million during the 2025-26 season.

Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul and Josh Hairston negotiated the upgraded contract.

Edwards will receive two guaranteed years on the new deal, sources said. He earns $2 million next season after the 76ers declined his $1.9M option. Edwards emerged as an upside rotation player last season, shooting 45.5% from the field and 36.3 from 3. https://t.co/ZDcgg8JWCz

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 27, 2025

After going unselected in the 2024 NBA Draft, Edwards quickly agreed to a two-way contract with Philly. By February, his strong play convinced the 76ers to convert his contract into a standard one.

Mostly a bench player through the first half of the season, several key injuries opened an opportunity for Edwards, who took full advantage. The 6-foot-7 wing averaged 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 26.3 minutes per outing while starting 26 of the 44 games he appeared in. He shot 45.5 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from deep. Edwards dropped a season-high 25 points twice against the Thunder and Spurs.

Granted, the 76ers posted an 11-33 record during those 44 games, but Edwards was among the few bright spots as star players Joel Embiid (19 games played), Paul George (41 games played), and fellow former ‘Cat Tyrese Maxey (52 games played) all missed significant time. Even prized rookie guard Jared McCain, who looked like the best rookie of the class, played just 23 games before going down with an injury.

Philly lucked into the third overall pick in this week’s NBA Draft, taking Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe. Two days later, they retained a 21-year-old Edwards. The franchise appears to be operating on a timeline tailored towards its younger players, such as Maxey and McCain, especially as Embiid continues to age. The 31-year-old former MVP has played just 58 games over the past two seasons.

With that in mind, the 76ers clearly view Edwards as a piece of the future.

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