Former Kentucky forward **[Justin Edwards](https://247sports.com/Player/Justin-Edwards-46109375)** has agreed to a new 3-year contract after declining his team option with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to [Shams Charania of ESPN](https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1938725560206708784).
As a rookie last season, Edwards appeared in 44 games for the 76ers with 26 starts, averaging 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 45.5% from the floor and 36.3% from 3-point range as the Philadelphia native played well enough to elevate himself from a two-way contract to a standard league deal.
The first two years are guaranteed and Edwards is set to make $2 million during the 2025-26 season.
He scored in double-figures in 21 games with three games of 20+ points including career-highs of 25 points in a January loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and in a March loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
After once being projected as the No. 1 overall pick by multiple mock drafts, Edwards went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Edwards had an up and down freshman season for UK, where he averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 48.6% from the floor, 36.5% from beyond the arc and 77.6% from the free throw line while starting 30 of 32 games for the Wildcats this season.
He recorded 13 double-digit scoring games, including five of his last seven outings, but Edwards' season highlight came in a 117-95 win over No. 13 Alabama on Feb. 24 when he went a perfect 10 of 10 from the floor, including 4 of 4 from 3-point range in scoring a career-high 28 points, after which he was named SEC Freshman of the Week.
Edwards also scored 17 points at Vanderbilt and 16 in the Wildcats' 85-81 win at No. 4 Tennessee in the regular season finale.
Coming out of Imhotep Charter School in Philadelphia, Edwards was the top-ranked small forward and No. 3 overall prospect in the 2023 class according to the industry average 247Sports Composite.