Shaedon Sharpe has arguably the highest ceiling of any player on the Portland Trail Blazers' roster. Just 21 years old, Sharpe already possesses several of the skills required to take the next step -- elite athleticism, positional size, midrange game, ability to create space, underrated playmaking, etc.
He's shown flashes of that All-Star-level ceiling throughout his first three seasons when healthy. However, recent dips in production -- particularly after being benched by Chauncey Billups -- have raised concerns regarding whether or not Sharpe will reach that ceiling.
In the past ten games, Sharpe has averaged 14.8 points, 2.2 assists, and 2.6 rebounds on 43/32/82 shooting splits. His inconsistency puts Portland in a tough spot as they look ahead to a pivotal decision they'll have to make this summer in terms of a potential rookie-scale extension.
Shaedon Sharpe’s struggles and Blazers’ success since his benching complicate his extension
Projections show that Sharpe's extension could reach roughly $250 million over five years, but he'd unlikely receive anything close to that. Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report compared Sharpe's situation to players like Trey Murphy III, Jalen Suggs, and Jalen Johnson, who signed extensions in the $25-30 million per year range after showing promise despite early inconsistencies.
Gambles on all three of those players are paying off for their respective teams, but there's also a common thread in that they all are two-way players. It could be risky for the Blazers to invest that much into someone who was benched primarily for his lack of defense. Not to mention, he's a shooting guard who is currently struggling with his shot from beyond the arc.
Another thing to consider is Portland's improved play since Sharpe's diminished role. It's hard to ignore that the Blazers have a 12-5 record since Billups made the starting lineup switch.
Sharpe has shown some growth this year, and it's great to see him healthy after playing just 32 games last season due to a core muscle injury. But concerns -- three-point shooting, defense, consistency, and motor -- remain unaddressed and have only been magnified by his recent decline.
If the Blazers don't extend Sharpe, he could enter restricted free agency in 2026. Highkin notes that this decision is a gamble for both parties involved.
"Does Sharpe want to lock in a potentially lower number to have the security or bet on himself in restricted free agency in the summer of 2026? And how big of a bet do the Blazers want to make that how good he can be is how good he's going to be?" wrote Highkin.
We still are in on Scoot Henderson and Sharpe being the Blazers' future backcourt. But it's imperative that they get this extension decision right; there's certainly some risk involved in investing so heavily in Sharpe, given how he's played (and how the Blazers have played without him) this season.