The Nets have officially signed rookie forward Kessler Edwards to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.
Edwards, who turned 21 last Monday, averaged 17.2 PPG and 6.8 RPG on .491/.378/.876 shooting in 27 games (33.9 MPG) as a junior at Pepperdine in 2020/21. The Nets selected him with the 44th overall pick in the 2021 draft, one of five players the team picked on July 29.
Edwards has struggled a little in Summer League play, averaging just 5.7 PPG on 26.7% shooting, but will fill one of the Nets’ two-way contract slots to open the season. His two-way deal will allow him to be active for up to 50 regular season NBA games — he also figures to spend time with the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate.
The Nets’ other two second-round picks, Marcus Zegarowski (No. 49) and RaiQuan Gray (No. 59), remain unsigned. Brooklyn still has an open two-way slot, so one of those two rookies will likely end up joining Edwards on a two-way contract.
I figured both spots would go to late draftees Marcus Z and Raiquan. They aren’t good enough to beat out Kessler for a two way. Figured Kessler would sign a 1+1 year rookie minimum. Raiquan and Marcus needed to get two ways if they were signing at all. One might get a tw. The other pry won’t even get signed now.
Even though they rescinded the QO, there’s still a possibility Reggie Perry gets the second two-way.