The Portland Trail Blazers extended Shaedon Sharpe with no clear intention to trade him anytime soon. Still, having a mid-sized contract on the books gives Portland financial flexibility to swing a trade to upgrade its roster.
Sharpe agreed to a four-year, $90 million extension with the Blazers. They now avoid restricted free agency next summer, get ahead of a potential breakout season, and lock down yet another key part of their young core. It's a wise investment due to his upside as well as his play throughout training camp and preseason. However, are we 100% sure that Sharpe is an ideal fit for what Portland is building?
Does Shaedon Sharpe fit Portland's rebuild?
Chauncey Billups benched Sharpe last season, citing his lack of defense. With Anfernee Simons now in Boston, Sharpe is the worst defender on Portland's roster, at least in terms of defensive rating last season. Billups reportedly thought Sharpe did well on that side of the ball in camp, so we'll have to see whether those improvements translate to this season.
Another key area of Sharpe's game that he must address in order to be considered a true building block alongside the likes of Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara is his three-point shot. Sharpe connected on just 31.1% of his attempts last season, and it will be hard for Portland -- a team that has consistently finished near the bottom in three-point efficiency -- to address that weakness as a team if its shooting guard also possesses that same weakness at a position in which it should be considered a strength.
This is not to say Portland should be actively pursuing trade options for Sharpe. It was important to lock him down, considering how desperately the Blazers need star power and Sharpe's tantalizing potential. That said, it's an overlooked benefit of this deal, as it gives Portland flexibility. If Sharpe doesn't take that leap many expect and improve in these key areas, the Blazers can reconsider his fit.
They're also now well-positioned to make the salaries match should they decide to get involved in the next superstar sweepstakes. Portland can package Sharpe with one of Jrue Holiday or Jerami Grant, who are each owed $32 million this season. Having that mid-sized contract makes it easier financially to go star hunting and acquire someone in that $50 million range.
Incoming owner Tom Dundon has a reputation for making these types of splashes, with one source telling Jason Quick of The Athletic that Dundon would've been trying to get Luka Doncic last year. With a new owner on the horizon, an ascending young core, valuable future draft capital (thanks, Milwaukee!), and now, a variety of different-sized contracts, acquiring a superstar just became that much more feasible.