Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or hiding behind a John Cena) you’re probably aware that Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe is eligible for a contract extension this fall. The two sides have not reached an agreement yet, but ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Sean Marks think it will get done.
Running down prospects for all NBA rookies in the pipeline
for an extension, the analyst duo weigh in favorably towards Sharpe. They explain:Sharpe was general manager Joe Cronin’s first draft pick in 2022,
and will play this season — his fourth in the NBA — at just 22 years old. He’s also a 6-foot-6 multifaceted wing who averaged 18.5 points last season. Add that up, and it’s easy to see why Portland would want to keep him as part of its program moving forward.
The only counterargument they offer is somewhat-ludicrous speculation that the Blazers could generate cap space next summer by letting Sharpe walk. That’s hardly convincing.
The balance of the analysis leans towards a deal getting done:
What I would offer: Four years, $105 million. The contract seems rich, but I am betting on Sharpe’s upside. In his first two seasons combined, he scored 1,299 points, and scored 1,335 points last season. He became the first Trail Blazer to have seven career 30-point games before turning 22. The contract would start at $29 million and then decline each season, with the last year being $23.5 million. The Trail Blazers would be $40 million below the luxury tax, leaving them enough room to sign Toumani Camara to a contract and also have access to the non-tax midlevel exception. — Marks
Will it happen?: The bet here is this one gets done. The Blazers have added veterans to augment their young core, but Portland has expressed a belief that it can build upon its strong second half from last season. Keeping Sharpe and building on that momentum moving forward is part of that plan. — Bontemps
You can read Marks’ and Bontemps’ thoughts on other extension-eligible players through the link above.
The deadline for rookie-contract extensions is 6:00 PM, Eastern Time on Monday.
