3 Overpaid, 3 underpaid Trail Blazers for 2023-24 season
By Tyler Watts
Underpaid: Shaedon Sharpe
Sharpe enters his second NBA season ready to prove that the final ten games of his rookie season were no fluke. The 20-year-old played well in year one, but he did not get a serious chance to start until the end of the season.
Sharpe showed why he was the seventh overall pick by averaging 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 0.9 steals in 35.9 minutes per game, while shooting 46.0 percent from the field and 37.8 percent on his threes.
The 6’6 wing has a ton of potential, and the Trail Blazers believe he will eventually transform into an All-Star. Sharpe must improve on both ends of the floor, but he was a project coming out of the draft. The teenager did not play college basketball, despite enrolling at Kentucky. It was not surprising to see him get off to a bit of a slow start in the NBA before coming on down the stretch.
Shaedon Sharpe is set to make $6.3 million next season as part of his rookie deal. Every team in the league would love to have the 20-year-old wing at that number. He may not fully break out in year two, but the Portland Trail Blazers hope for positive growth. Sharpe is still years away from his prime and will be a bargain for three more years if he keeps improving.