James Franklin Edwards (born November 22, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player who was a center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, and Chicago Bulls during a career that spanned 19 seasons.

As a senior in 1973, he led the Roughriders to the big-school state basketball title, while receiving All-State and All-Metro honors at center.

He also contributed to the team having a 22–6 record, qualifying for the school's first NCAA basketball tournament appearance since 1953 and finishing the regular season ranked No.

As a senior in the 1976–1977 season, he led the team with 20.9 points and 10.4 rebounds, but the squad failed to qualify for the NCAA basketball tournament with a 17–10 overall record.

On February 24, 1988, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for center Ron Moore and a 1991 second-round draft pick (#46-Richard Dumas).

He was a key reserve of the consecutive champion in 1989 and 1990 Detroit Pistons' Bad Boys squads, starting most of the team's games in 1990.

[11] On August 13, 1991, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for shooting guard Jeff Martin and a 1995 2nd round draft pick (#30-Lou Roe).

On October 26, 1995, he signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls, where he won a third championship in the 19th and final season of his career in 1996, seeing limited playing time off the bench.

In April 1987, Edwards, along with Jay Humphries and Grant Gondrezick, was indicted by a Maricopa County, Arizona, grand jury investigating cocaine trafficking.