Rob Edwards (basketball)
Robert Edwards | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 20, 1997 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2021–present |
| Known for | Playing for Xinjiang Flying Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) |
Robert Martin Edwards IV (born January 20, 1997) is an American professional basketball athlete who most recently competed for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Before turning professional, he played collegiate basketball with the Cleveland State Vikings and the Arizona State Sun Devils. Edwards began his pro journey in 2021 with the Oklahoma City Blue. During the 2021–22 season, he was called up to join the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Early life
Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Edwards attended the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy for his initial two years of high school before transferring to Cass Technical High School. As a junior, he contributed 19 points to help Cass Tech secure a Class A District championship. In his senior year (2014–15), he received honorable mention all-state recognition while averaging 16 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals per contest.
College career
Edwards spent his first two collegiate seasons playing for the Cleveland State Vikings, where he was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team in 2016 and earned second-team All-Horizon League honors in 2017. During his sophomore year, he posted averages of 16.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Subsequently, he transferred to Arizona State but was required to sit out the 2017–18 season due to NCAA transfer regulations. In his redshirt junior season, Edwards averaged 11.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, followed by an 11.6 point and 3.6 rebound average as a senior, twice scoring a season-best 24 points.
Oklahoma City Thunder / Blue (2021–2022)
After going undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft, Edwards was selected in the NBA G League draft and joined the Oklahoma City Blue in January 2021. In the 2020–21 G League hub season, he appeared in 15 games with three starts, averaging 12.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 44.0% from beyond the arc.
Edwards took part in the 2021 NBA Summer League with the Oklahoma City Thunder in August 2021. He signed with Oklahoma City that September but was waived after one preseason appearance in October. Returning to the Blue for the 2021–22 G League season, Edwards secured a 10-day contract with the Thunder on December 27, appearing in two NBA contests before rejoining Oklahoma City's G League affiliate on January 6, 2022.
Wisconsin Herd (2022–2023)
On September 2, 2022, Edwards' returning rights were traded from the Blue to the Wisconsin Herd. He signed with the Milwaukee Bucks on September 16 but was waived on the same day. Edwards was included on Wisconsin Herd’s opening-night roster on November 3, 2022, and averaged 15.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists throughout the 2022–23 NBA G League season.
BG Göttingen (2023)
Edwards signed with German club BG Göttingen of the Basketball Bundesliga on March 28, 2023.
Cleveland Charge (2023)
Edwards was signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 21, 2023, but was waived immediately afterward. Subsequently, he joined the Cleveland Charge for the 2023–24 NBA G League season, where he posted an average of 9.9 points across 16 games during the Showcase Cup.
Maine Celtics (2023–2024)
On December 26, 2023, Edwards was traded to the Maine Celtics. He appeared in 16 games and averaged 6.5 points before being released on February 24, 2024.
Delaware Blue Coats (2024)
Edwards signed with the Delaware Blue Coats on March 4, 2024.
Cairns Taipans (2024–2025)
Edwards inked a contract with the Cairns Taipans of the Australian National Basketball League for the 2024–25 season on May 24, 2024. Following a match against Melbourne United, he was suspended for one game on November 6 due to his conduct towards officials. On February 2, 2025, Edwards was granted an early release from his contract to explore new opportunities, having averaged 19.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per contest.
Xinjiang Flying Tigers (2025)
On February 4, 2025, Edwards became a member of the Xinjiang Flying Tigers competing in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
Personal life
Edwards has two siblings: one brother and one sister. His cousin, Kalin Lucas, played collegiate basketball at Michigan State and had NBA appearances in both 2014 and 2019. Edwards welcomed a daughter in 2024.
NBA
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma City | 2 || 0 || 5.5 || .250 || .250 || — || 1.5 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 1.5 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 2 || 0 || 5.5 || .250 || .250 || — || 1.5 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 1.5