There… I said it.
The Portland Trail Blazers should go way above and beyond the reported $90M contract extension over four years they have discussed with Shaedon Sharpe, because if they don’t do it before Oct. 20, there is a massive risk that the cost goes up.
On the latest We Like the Blazers podcast, Conor and I talked about it, including John Hollinger’s seemingly way-too-low estimate of Sharpe’s worth at $14.2M annually, and what Sharpe might ACTUALLY get (Sharpe convo starts at 12:15):
Brandon:
It’s fair to say that for players who are 22 years old, trying to figure out how much might they be worth in the future is difficult because you’re trying to price in improvement. And you also are looking at the ecosystem in which they’re playing, what has he been asked to do, what are the pieces around him, are the pieces around him those that allow him to be his best self, how is the coaching, all of this stuff matters when trying to evaluate, especially younger players… when you’re extending for between 15% and 21% of the cap, a lot of this is based on potential… nobody on that list got the equivalent of less than $23M a year in today’s cap environment… who do you think on this list is Shaedon Sharp and his representation saying “he’s going to be like this guy?”
Conor: Two of the names that jump out are Trey Murphy because he was averaging 14 points the season he got the extension. The very next season he was averaging 21. They are different sorts of players of course, Trey Murphy’s more of a 3 and D specialist. But just the boost in offense. They also are at a very similar age. Mikal Bridges is another name. Very much a scorer, mid-range shooter.
Brandon: I’m just going to put it out there. Here’s my guess. I think it’s five [years] for $140M. I think that’s what it’s going to be. And I think the Blazers would be smart to do that. So, you can clip this later in 2027 when Shaedon Sharp is out of the league and be like, “Look at that guy.” Or hey, clip it when he’s a two-time all-star!
For context – and as we discussed during the podcast – below is a complete list of the players who have been extended on their rookie deals for between about 15% and 21% of the salary cap:
When you look at it this way, giving Sharpe $28M over five years – the equivalent of just 18% of the cap – isn’t really that out of bounds, even if saying “$140M for Shaedon Sharpe??” sounds like a lot to take in at first.
At the beginning of the episode, Conor also reported about how Blake Wesley is fitting in with his new team, and whether the guard can find his way into the rotation, especially given the injury to Scoot Henderson.
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