To no one’s surprise, Justin Edwards will have more than just a single promising season as a Sixer.
The Sixers plan to decline Edwards’ team option and sign him to a new three-year contract, a source confirmed Friday night to NBC Sports Philadelphia. [ESPN’s Shams Charania](https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1938726135514231073) first reported the news and noted that Edwards’ new deal will have two guaranteed years and a $2 million salary for the 2025-26 season. His option was for slightly under $2 million.
Edwards is a Philadelphia native who impressively ascended from undrafted player to two-way contract to much-deserved standard NBA deal in one year.
The 21-year-old wing posted 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game as a rookie and drew frequent praise from Sixers head coach Nick Nurse.
“I think the biggest thing … is he fits a need and a role for our team right now,” Nurse said on Feb. 6. “We need a wing, we need a defender, we need an opportunity scorer. … He works really hard on D. He seems to make the right plays on offense, whether it’s catch and shoot or catch and beat the closeout, or just swing the ball.
“And again, I like his energy and enthusiasm. He’s really trying to do everything at a super-high effort level, which is a great place to start when you’re young.”
Edwards will aim to build on all that in Year 2. He said in February that he'd learned “I belong here.”
“I feel like that was my whole motor,” Edwards said, “to try to show everybody that I belong.”