Michael Scotto of HoopsHype recently reported that the Portland Trail Blazers are "expected to have contract extension talks this offseason" with former No. 7 overall pick Shaedon Sharpe. That would be a massive mistake, as it could lower their chances of bringing in a star talent in the 2026 offseason.
The Blazers have eight players eligible for extensions this summer, most notably Sharpe and Toumani Camara. They also have several substantial contracts coming off the books next summer, including Deandre Ayton ($35.6 million), Anfernee Simons ($27.7 million), Robert Williams III ($13.3 million), and Matisse Thybulle ($11.6 million, should he opt-in).
If they don't extend anyone, they could have up to $70 million to shop for a star in the 2026 free agency.
Blazers need to be looking ahead to the 2026 offseason
Despite a promising young core, the Blazers still lack a bona fide No. 1 option to contend with Western Conference teams that somehow are only getting stronger. It's possible they already have that internally, but it's unlikely anyone on the roster will become the level of player required to lead a true contender.
A better, more definitive option would be to add in that star externally, whether via trade or free agency. The latter would be preferable as the Blazers wouldn't have to sacrifice any future assets, and their golden opportunity to do so is in 2026.
Several intriguing stars are set to hit the market that summer. Outside of the unrealistic targets such as Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant, here are some names to keep an eye on:
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: Would be an ideal fit for the Blazers' young core
- De'Aaron Fox: Seems more expendable now that San Antonio will likely land Dylan Harper in the draft
- Trae Young: Has a player option but should consider escaping the play-in purgatory that is the Atlanta Hawks
- Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Mikal Bridges, Austin Reaves, Naz Reid, Julius Randle -- the list goes on
The Blazers are a small market with little history of successfully attracting these big-name free agents. But money talks -- and Portland could have a lot of it to dangle if they play their cards right.
Hopefully, their young core continues to build off their 15-win improvement from this season and becomes a more intriguing landing spot for these players. They could view themselves as the missing piece to help get Portland back into contention.
Sharpe's season was largely mediocre. His averages of 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists were promising for a 21-year-old who hasn't had much NBA experience after playing just 32 games last season. But he was also inconsistent, shot an unreliable 31.1 percent from three, and was benched due to defensive lapses -- coinciding with Portland's surprising midseason turnaround.
However, the issue isn't the talent. We'd gladly give Sharpe the extension if the Blazers' cap situation were different, as he still has arguably the highest All-Star upside on the roster.
But the Blazers should approach Sharpe's extension like the Philadelphia 76ers did with Tyrese Maxey. Although Maxey deserved an extension, Philadelphia wisely waited, preserving cap space to acquire Paul George the following summer.
We all know how that experiment has gone in Philadelphia, but the process (no pun intended) of maximizing the cap space was still correct.
If Scotto's recent intel becomes a reality and Portland extends Sharpe this summer, it would be a costly mistake with potentially franchise-altering implications, as it could cause them to miss out on that star they desperately need.