The Portland Trail Blazers are running out of time to reach a rookie-scale extension with Shaedon Sharpe. If Portland doesn't extend Sharpe by Monday's 3 p.m. (PT) deadline, he will become a restricted free agent next summer.
According to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian/OregonLive, one team source said that an extension seems unlikely. However, ESPN's Tim Bontemps recently predicted that a deal would get done. In other words, no one really knows with 100% confidence what general manager Joe Cronin will do one way or the other.
Will the Blazers and Shaedon Sharpe reach an agreement?
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on The Stein Line that Portland's initial offer to Sharpe was around four years, $90 million. Considering his upside at just 22 years old and the way he performed throughout training camp and preseason, that offer seems too low for Sharpe to sign off on. Bobby Marks of ESPN noted that he would offer four years, $105 million, so Portland is roughly $4 million annually below a realistic offer.
"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 writes.
Cronin said that they are very open to the idea of investing in Sharpe for the long haul, but the specifics of what that means -- whether it's an extension before the season or as an RFA after -- are unclear. There's a strong case to be made both for and against Portland extending its high flyer.
If they do decide to increase their $90 million offer before the season, it will be getting ahead of Sharpe's potential breakout. Portland selected Sharpe with the No. 7 overall pick in 2022, which was also Cronin's first draft choice as general manager. He clearly believed in Sharpe as a prospect back then, and Sharpe's three seasons in the NBA should've only further validated that belief. He's coming off the best season of his young career, averaging 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on 45/31/79 shooting splits.
With Sharpe showing signs of improving his shooting and defense, the Blazers may not want to let the market dictate his value next summer. It remains to be seen if that's the route they ultimately take, as Sharpe's situation is arguably the trickiest of any player currently eligible for an extension.
We'll find out soon.