With so much money invest in their star trio, the Philadelphia 76ers are a team that needs to operate well in the margins. Based on what they’ve seen from one young player thus far, they might have stumbled upon a rotation piece at a very team-friendly price.

During his tenure running the Sixers’ front office, Daryl Morey has had an impressive track record when it comes to the draft. He managed to add more impressive talent to the pipeline in the form of Jared McCain and Adem Bona. That said, one his most notable moves arguably came right after the draft.

After not being selected in either round, the Sixers signed Kentucky forward Justin Edwards to a two-way contract. This would be a feel-good moment for the young prospect, as he’d be joining his hometown team.

Edwards, like many other young players at the end of the roster, has seen extended playing time due to injuries. Despite being an undrafted free agent, he’s shown the potential to be an everyday player at the NBA level. Appearing in 25 games thus far, Edwards is averaging 8.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 1.4 APG while shooting league average from beyond the arc.

Following his impressive run in recent months, the Sixers made the decision to convert Edwards to a standard NBA contract. They aren’t the only ones high on him, as other feel he is also a notable performer from this year’s rookie class. In their recent 2024 NBA re-draft, the people at Bleacher Report had Edwards going from undrafted to being selected just outside the lottery at No. 15.

A 6’8″ wing who defends his butt off, knocks down threes, can hit the occasional mid-ranger and has enough of a handle to straight-line his way to the rim is valuable. In hindsight, while he didn’t have a standout season at Kentucky, Justin Edwards going undrafted is objectively freaking wild.

Still in the early stages of his development, Edwards has already shown flashes of being a competent two-way wing for the Sixers. If he can continue to build off what he’s accomplished thus far, he’d provide a huge lift for the team as a productive role player at a very cheap price tag.

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