Blazers news: Portland picks up Shaedon Sharpe’s option for 2024-25

In an unsurprising but somewhat exciting move nonetheless, the Portland Trail Blazers have picked up Shaedon Sharpe’s team option for the 2024-25 season. The Blazers push back Sharpe’s eventual foray into free agency at least one season and keep him on the roster – again, unsurprisingly – for another year.

Barring some sort of Lonzo Ball-type injury, Portland will likely keep Sharpe around long term anyway, so this may be a formality, but it points to the bigger picture for the Blazers franchise moving forward.

Shaedon Sharpe is only one part of the Portland Trail Blazers bright future

The 20-year-old is just one piece, albeit a key piece, of the Blazers roster as the team rebuilds around a slew of talented players age 25 or younger.

Rookie point guard Scoot Henderson is 19. The team’s longest-tenured player and perhaps its best player, Anfernee Simons, is still just 24. Deandre Ayton, the prize of the Damian Lillard trade, is 25, as is Robert Williams III, the headliner of Portland’s return in the Jrue Holiday trade.

Kris Murray could be added to the list as an older rookie, but still a 23-year-old rookie.

Who knows what the future holds as the Blazers continue to rebuild their roster in the post-Lillard era. Will Ayton be the kind of player the team expects after his change of scenery? Will Williams stay healthy or even stick around long-term as a young talent on a cheap contract who holds significant trade value?

Sharpe appears to be a lock to stay in Portland past his rookie deal, and he still has another team option coming in 2025-26 before he hits restricted free agency the following season. Scoot also seems to be a lock for the Blazers roster long term. Simons is only in the second year of a completely reasonable four-year, $100 million deal.

Although it’s a total formality, picking up Sharpe’s option is only further proof that Portland is ready to bet its future on a young, inexperienced but incredibly talented core.