Kessler Edwards
Kessler Donovan Edwards (born August 9, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Pepperdine Waves.
_(cropped).jpg.webp) Edwards with the Brooklyn Nets in 2022 | |
| No. 17 – Sacramento Kings | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | August 9, 2000 Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 203 lb (92 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Etiwanda (Rancho Cucamonga, California) |
| College | Pepperdine (2018–2021) |
| NBA draft | 2021: 2nd round, 44th overall pick |
| Selected by the Brooklyn Nets | |
| Playing career | 2021–present |
| Career history | |
| 2021–2023 | Brooklyn Nets |
| 2021–2023 | →Long Island Nets |
| 2023–present | Sacramento Kings |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
High school career
Edwards played basketball for Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga, California. As a junior, he averaged 17 points and nine rebounds per game, earning First Team All-Baseline League honors.[1] Edwards averaged 21.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game as a senior and was named Baseline League MVP.[2] He competed for Prodigy Elite on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit.[3] A consensus three-star recruit, he committed to playing college basketball for Pepperdine.[4]
College career
As a freshman at Pepperdine, Edwards averaged 10 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He was a WCC All-Freshman Team selection.[5] As a sophomore, Edwards averaged 13.8 points and a team-leading 7.5 rebounds per game. He was named to the Second Team All-WCC.[6] On January 21, 2021, he recorded a career-high 37 points and 11 rebounds in an 85–68 win over Pacific.[7] He led Pepperdine to the College Basketball Invitational title and was named MVP.[8] As a junior, Edwards averaged 17.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, earning First Team All-WCC recognition. On April 23, 2021, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility.[9] He later signed with BDA and WME Sports, forgoing his remaining eligibility.[10]
Professional career
Brooklyn Nets (2021–2023)
Edwards was selected in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft with the 44th pick by the Brooklyn Nets,[11] and was later included in the roster of the Nets for the 2021 NBA Summer League.[12] On August 16, he signed a two-way contract with the Nets. Under the terms of the deal, he split time between Brooklyn and their NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets.[13] On April 10, 2022, Edwards's deal was promoted to a standard contract.[14]
On July 6, 2022, Edwards re-signed with the Nets to a reported two-year contract.[15][16]
Sacramento Kings (2023–present)
On February 8, 2023, Edwards and cash considerations were traded to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for the draft rights to David Michineau.[17]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Brooklyn | 48 | 23 | 20.6 | .412 | .353 | .842 | 3.6 | .6 | .6 | .5 | 5.9 |
| 2022–23 | Brooklyn | 14 | 1 | 5.6 | .250 | .167 | .500 | 1.0 | .1 | .2 | .1 | 1.1 |
| Sacramento | 22 | 3 | 13.9 | .435 | .349 | .769 | 2.1 | 1.0 | .5 | .2 | 3.9 | |
| Career | 84 | 27 | 16.3 | .406 | .340 | .794 | 2.8 | .6 | .5 | .4 | 4.6 | |
Play-in
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Brooklyn | 1 | 0 | 7.6 | .000 | .000 | – | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Career | 1 | 0 | 7.6 | .000 | .000 | – | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Brooklyn | 2 | 0 | 3.5 | — | — | — | .0 | .5 | .5 | .0 | .0 |
| 2023 | Sacramento | 6 | 0 | 1.2 | — | — | — | .2 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Career | 8 | 0 | 1.8 | — | — | — | .1 | .1 | .1 | .0 | .0 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Pepperdine | 34 | 27 | 28.8 | .438 | .370 | .694 | 5.4 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 9.8 |
| 2019–20 | Pepperdine | 31 | 31 | 32.7 | .471 | .437 | .761 | 7.4 | 1.5 | .9 | 1.8 | 13.6 |
| 2020–21 | Pepperdine | 27 | 26 | 33.9 | .491 | .378 | .876 | 6.8 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 17.2 |
| Career | 92 | 84 | 31.6 | .469 | .395 | .789 | 6.5 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 13.3 | |
Personal life
Edwards's older brother, Kameron, played college basketball for Pepperdine before embarking on a professional career.[18]
References
- Marshall, Pete (April 12, 2017). "All-area boys basketball: Chino Hills' LiAngelo Ball is Player of the year". The San Bernardino Sun. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- Gardner, Michelle (April 12, 2018). "Onyeka Okongwu named 2018 Bulletin/Sun All-Area Basketball Player of the Year". Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- Ugland, Devin (July 20, 2017). "Recruiting Report: Kessler Edwards (2018)". Prep Hoops. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- Resendiz, Jacob (August 26, 2018). "Dream Realized: Edwards Brothers Play Together on Pepperdine's Mens Basketball Team". The Graphic. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- "Pepperdine's Edwards Invited to USA Basketball U19 Camp". West Coast Conference. May 23, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- Burgess, Jason (June 19, 2020). "WCC Basketball: Breakout candidates from each team for 2020-21 season". Busting Brackets. FanSided. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- "Former Etiwanda star Kessler Edwards is having fine season for Pepperdine; will he be in NBA some day?". Fontana Herald News. February 9, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- Jackson, McKenzie (March 30, 2021). "Pepperdine Men's Basketball Wins CBI Title". The Malibu Times. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- Givony, Jonathan (April 23, 2021). "Pepperdine's Kessler Edwards declaring for 2021 NBA draft". ESPN. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- Vault Jr., Jacoby (June 30, 2021). "BDA and WME Signs Kessler Edwards". Sports Agent Blog. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- "Ex-Etiwanda High School star Kessler Edwards is chosen by Brooklyn Nets in NBA draft". Fontana Herald News. July 30, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
- "Brooklyn Nets announce summer League roster". NBA.com. August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- "BROOKLYN NETS SIGN KESSLER EDWARDS TO TWO-WAY CONTRACT". NBA.com. August 16, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
- "Brooklyn Nets Sign Kessler Edwards". NBA.com. April 10, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
- "Brooklyn Nets Re-sign Kessler Edwards". NBA.com. July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- Milholen, Chris (July 6, 2022). "Nets re-sign Kessler Edwards to reported two-year deal with team option". NetsDaily. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- "Kings Complete Trade With Brooklyn Nets". NBA.com. February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- "50 for 50 Spotlight: Kameron Edwards". Pepperdine Caruso School of Law. April 20, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.