The Philadelphia 76ers are on track to return to the playoffs this season after a one-year sabbatical, but the front office will face some tough decisions once the offseason begins. One question on their minds is the fate of Justin Edwards, who has been a huge disappointment to the team in his second campaign.
After being a feel-good story for the 76ers as an undrafted rookie last season, Edwards has seen his production drop exponentially. He has averaged just 4.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per outing thus far, registering a paltry 40.4 percent shooting from the field and a 33.6 percent conversion rate from Rainbow Country.
As a result, the notable difference between the minutes he got last season and what he has gotten this season should come as no surprise. From logging north of 26 minutes per outing, he has now dropped to 13.8 in that regard. Obviously, the 76ers don’t necessarily have him as part of their immediate plans.
The 76ers will likely get rid of Justin Edwards during the offseason
Edwards has a guaranteed $2.4 million deal next season, but considering that doesn’t take up a significant portion of their payroll, the 76ers’ front office shouldn’t have a hard time getting his deal out, either through a small-scale trade or an outright waiver.
Either way, with the 76ers needing more roster spots to look for upgrades at every position, Edwards is more likely to be zoomed in as the proverbial sacrificial pawn. He hasn’t given the team many reasons to stick with him, and their spread intent to win now is simply not compatible with the journey it would take for Edwards to become more than serviceable again.
The 76ers already have a handful of role players that they likely want to keep, and to do that they need to keep an eye on the players who could be real upgrades, while also maintaining the flexibility to keep those worthy players on the roster.
At this time, there are no indications that the 76ers are offering Justin Edwards a permanent position as part of their roster. His days in Philly are definitely numbered, and unless he starts playing like the three-and-D prospect he showed last season, this experience will be over in a flash.
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