Sam Vecenie and Bryce Simon recently predicted rookie-scale extensions on the Game Theory Podcast. One player whose contract situation gave them a challenging time to predict was Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe.
There are just so many question marks surrounding how Sharpe fits into the Blazers' new roster and whether he's able to put it all together to reach his tantalizing upside. He's just 22 years old and coming off a season in which he averaged 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on 45/31/79 shooting splits. He's already a certified bucket-getter and could develop into an elite scorer if he develops a reliable jump shot. However, as Vecenie mentions, the defense and playmaking are problematic.
"If you're the Blazers, if he ever shoots it, he is a monster. He really might be an awesome, ridiculous offensive player if he ever shoots it. He is still just 22 years old, and the athleticism, the length, the body control -- all of it is pretty sick," Vecenie said. "But he doesn't defend. He is really, really rough on that end. And then on the offensive end, the passing isn't really there. I don't think he sees the court super well. And the shooting has just been up and down throughout."
What should Portland do with Shaedon Sharpe?
Portland has until the start of the 2025-26 season to extend Sharpe. If they don't reach an agreement, he will hit restricted free agency next summer. Vecenie emphasizes his uncertainty surrounding this complex situation, but does note that it could make sense for the Blazers to hold off on an extension as it would give them another full year to evaluate Sharpe and see how much they truly want to invest in him as a long-term piece.
"He might be like a sixth or seventh man. We talk about this paradigm with shooters and scoring guards that don't really do a whole lot else right now. And those guys aren't getting a ton of money on the marketplace right now. I truly have no idea," Vecenie said.
Another factor to consider is that Portland is one of at least ten teams projected to have significant cap space next summer. They could take a similar approach as the Philadelphia 76ers did with Tyrese Maxey, where they view him as a part of their future but still don't extend him in order to preserve financial flexibility to upgrade the roster the following offseason (Philadelphia was then able to add Paul George).
The Blazers still don't have their backcourt figured out and desperately need more star power to contend out west. Despite these valid concerns about Sharpe's impact outside of scoring, it's imperative that they keep him around, as he'd help address both roster needs.
Deciding to keep him around is the easy part. The details of making that a reality -- the timing, price, and negotiations to determine the value of a high-upside but flawed guard -- are where this situation gets much more complicated.