The Philadelphia 76ers are on pace to make a return to the playoffs this season after a one-year sabbatical, but the front office will be met with some tough decisions once the offseason begins. One question that stands to bedevil their minds is the fate of Justin Edwards, who has been a massive dsiappointment for the team in his sophomore campaign.
After being a feel-good story for the 76ers last season as an undrafted rookie, Edwards has seen his production dip exponentially. He has averaged just 4.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per outing so far, registering meager shooting splits to the tune of 40.4 percent shooting from the field and a 33.6 percent conversion rate from rainbow country.
As a result, the notable disparity between the minutes he got last season from what he has been getting in this campaign should not be a surprise. From logging north of 26 minutes per outing, he is now down to 13.8 in that regard. Clearly, the 76ers do not necessarily have him as part of their immediate plans.
The 76ers are likely to get rid of Justin Edwards during the offseason
Edwards has a guaranteed $2.4 million deal next season, but given that it does not take up a significant chunk of their pay roll, the 76ers front office should not have a difficult time trying to dangle his deal away, either through a small-scale trade or an outright waiver.
Either way, with the 76ers in need of more roster spots to seek upgrades at every position, Edwards is more likely to be zoomed in as the proverbial sacrificial pawn. He has not given the team a lot of reasons to stick with him, and their spreadeagled intent to win now is simply not compatible with the trek it would require for Edwards to become more than serviceable again.
The 76ers already have a handful of role players they would likely want to retain, and to do that, they need to monitor those players who can be real upgrades while also maintaining flexibility to keep those worthy players on the roster.
At this juncture, there is nothing even close to a scant indicia that points to the 76ers affording Justin Edwards security of tenure 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 he was last season, this experience will be over in a flash.