Shaedon Sharpe shot just 31% from beyond the arc last season with the Portland Trail Blazers. It's an incredibly small sample size of just one game, but it already appears that he's drastically improved his shot this offseason.
In the Blazers' preseason loss to the Golden State Warriors, Sharpe finished with a game-high 22 points, shooting 9-of-15 from the field and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.
He shot 36% from deep as a rookie, which is around league average. If this game was any indication, that is a reasonable percentage to expect from Sharpe this season. It's not just the one game, either. Throughout training camp, Sharpe was called out as the one standout performer, receiving praise from both head coach Chauncey Billups and his teammates. In that praise, they noted his improved shot and defense. If Sharpe improves in those two key areas this season, it will do wonders for the ceiling of the Blazers' rebuild.
Shaedon Sharpe continues to make it easier for Blazers to invest in him
Sharpe's improved shot will have both short-term and long-term positive impacts for Portland. In terms of this season, it's apparent that the Blazers desperately need more shooting. Despite Sharpe shooting 50% from deep in their game against Golden State, Portland shot 33% as a team. It was essentially what caused them to lose the game. That could be the case in the regular season, too, as the Blazers have ranked as a bottom-five three-point shooting team the past two seasons.
Instead of addressing that issue this summer, general manager Joe Cronin actually took the roster in the opposite direction. Portland doubled down on its defensive identity, swapping sharpshooting combo guard Anfernee Simons for a lockdown defender in Jrue Holiday.
Reinforcements could potentially be on the way depending on what level Damian Lillard returns to following his brutal Achilles tear. Even then, Lillard is expected to miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season. Portland has aspirations of making a play-in spot in the loaded Western Conference, and they won't achieve that unless they become a significantly better shooting team. Since they didn't do themselves any favors with external additions this summer, their only chance now comes down to internal improvement, and Sharpe is a primary factor in that.
The long-term implications of this are that it should make Portland feel much more comfortable committing to Sharpe. They are currently facing a tricky situation regarding his rookie-scale extension. If they don't come to an agreement before the start of the season, Sharpe will become a restricted free agent next summer.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Portland has reportedly offered an extension (subscription required) in the range of four years, $90 million, but it will need to increase that offer in order for a deal to actually get done. The expectation is that Sharpe will command something around $100 million, if not higher.
That initially was going to be concerning for Portland to commit to because Sharpe is a score-first guard who doesn't shoot or defend -- a recipe for disaster when it comes to projecting his impact on winning. However, with these promising signs of Sharpe becoming a more complete player, the Blazers should feel much more comfortable locking down their high-flyer.