Shaedon Sharpe Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Trail Blazers Notes: Sharpe, Ayton, Avdija, Henderson

January 20th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe came off the bench Sunday night as coach Chauncey Billups removed him from the starting lineup due to frequent defensive lapses, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. When Billups informed Sharpe of the decision before the game, he included a clear message about the need to improve on that end of the court.

“It was a good convo,” Sharpe said. “He basically just told me what I needed to do. And today, I think I took a big step in doing what he said. So, I just got to continue to do that, and we’ll be all right.”

Sharpe responded by playing 33 minutes in a win over Chicago, slightly more than he usually sees as a starter. He scored 23 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, and Billups was happy with the effort he displayed on defense.

“I was proud of him,” Billups told reporters. “I thought defensively, he was locked in. which is where he needs to be. … I think with him when he’s locked in defensively, it helps his offense. It makes him go.”

There’s more from Portland:

Deandre Ayton, who sat out Saturday’s game with low back soreness, and Deni Avdija, who missed three games with an ankle issue, both returned to the court on Sunday night, Fentress adds in a separate story. The extra size helped the Blazers post a 50-36 advantage in rebounding, which led to 17 fast break points. “When we can get out and get our guys going and play fast and move the basketball, we’re pretty tough to play against,” Billups said.
Scoot Henderson continued his recent stellar play with 25 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in 38 minutes. The past four games have marked one of the best career stretches for Henderson, who was selected with the third pick in the 2023 draft. “It’s starting to become so consistent with Scoot,” Billups said (Twitter link from Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report). “I thought he did a good job of picking his spots but continuing to be on attack the whole game. Because we need it. He’s at his best that way. He’s playing really well. I’m proud of Scoot.” Anfernee Simons sat out Sunday’s game with a right elbow strain, so Sharpe may remain in a bench role when he returns if Henderson keeps playing well.
The Rockets, who won at Portland on Saturday night, could provide a good blueprint for the Blazers, Highkin states in a full story. They were recently in a similar position, but were able to make a quick turnaround due to the development of their young players and an aggressive approach to free agency. “It’s the stage Houston was in before I got there, where they were trying to figure out who is who with a stockpile of lottery picks,” coach Ime Udoka said. “They’re in that same mode right now, with some of those young guys.”

Trail Blazers Notes: Clingan, Sharpe, Thybulle, Grant

January 11th, 2025 at 8:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rookie Donovan Clingan posted his first double-double in nearly two months during the Trail Blazers‘ loss at Dallas Thursday night, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. With Robert Williams resting, Clingan served as Portland’s primary backup center and played more than 24 minutes off the bench.

“I thought DC played great,” coach Chauncey Billups said. “I really did. His minutes were good. … He had some big finishes around the basket and he played really tough.”

Fentress notes that Clingan hasn’t put up those type of numbers since November 13 when he had 17 points and 12 rebounds while starting in place of an injured Deandre Ayton. He suffered a knee strain later that month that sidelined him for seven games and affected his conditioning, but he appears to be fully back in game shape.

“It was good to see him back to being DC again,” Billups added. “That was extremely positive.”

There’s more from Portland:

Even though the Blazers remain near the bottom of the West at 13-24, they’re coming off a promising five-game road trip, Fentress adds in a separate story. Portland went 2-3, but could have been 4-1 if two big leads hadn’t slipped away. “Learning how to play down the stretch of games,” Billups said. “What’s important. How to take care of the ball. How to get the right shots. Getting the ball in the right guy’s hands. We can preach it until they’re blue in the face, but until you’re actually in the hit, in the moment, is when you actually learn it.”
A potential rookie-scale extension for Shaedon Sharpe will be one of the most important decisions facing Blazers management this summer, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report states in a mailbag column. Current projections have the max for Sharpe’s 2022 draft class at nearly $247MM over five years. Highkin expects a new deal for Sharpe to be more in line with the Pelicans’ Trey Murphy at $112MM over four years or the Magic’s Jalen Suggs and the Hawks’ Jalen Johnson, who each got $150MM over five years. Sharpe would become a restricted free agent in 2026 if he doesn’t reach an extension before the start of next season.
Swingman Matisse Thybulle will be reevaluated in two weeks as he works his way back from a sprained right ankle, the Trail Blazers announced (via Twitter). Thybulle, who appeared in 65 games last year, has yet to play this season.
Jerami Grant will miss his sixth straight game tonight with a face contusion. Billups said Grant continues to experience jaw and neck soreness, but he will start ramping up soon in preparation for a return, Highkin tweets.

Northwest Notes: Filipowski, George, Collier, D. Jones, Doncic, Vezenkov, Blazers

November 18th, 2024 at 11:29am CST by Tristan Tucker

Rookie center Kyle Filipowski‘s play continues to be one of the brightest spots of the Jazz‘s season so far, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. After claiming a starting role last week, Filipowski continues to pass test after test against some of the NBA’s best.

Filipowski is being targeted defensively in his rookie season, but he has responded admirably and recorded three steals against the Kings on Saturday.

“I guess that’s how it is for rookies, especially rookies that stand up to that sort of thing,” Filipowski said. “I gotta pull my big boy pants on, you know, and not back down from that challenge.”

The No. 32 pick in this year’s draft is averaging 7.9 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 55.2% from the field. In his past five games, including three starts, he has increased those averages to 12.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Keyonte George was benched in the second half of the Jazz‘s Sunday game against Los Angeles, Larsen writes in a separate story. Coach Will Hardy was clear about his reasoning after the game: “I wasn’t happy with Keyonte’s defense in the first half. Keyonte knows how much I believe in him, but sometimes you have to make changes in the moment to reinforce your point.” George played with the second unit and ended up playing the final 19 minutes of the game. He didn’t seem to be phased by the change after the game, Larsen writes. “Urgency levels should be at an all-time high no matter what — but we’re all humans,” George said. “I don’t know if you have a boss, but if they say you should take a break, when you come back you’re going to be on your Ps and Qs.” He’ll need to continue to improve on his decision-making, Larsen opines.
In George’s place, rookie guard Isaiah Collier started the second half and established career highs in minutes (26) and assists (8). Larsen writes in the same piece that Collier has been the Jazz‘s only true point guard and while he’s only getting to his own shot by beating the opposition in fast break situations (he’s shooting 11.1% from three), he’s helping the offense by taking care of the ball. “We know who our scorers are, we know where the ball needs to go,” Collier said. “Doing those little things, it definitely helped us int he second half.” The No. 29 overall pick in 2024 is averaging 4.3 PPG and 2.7 APG this year.
Thunder No. 26 overall pick Dillon Jones set career highs in points (12), minutes (15) and assists (3) on Sunday in a loss to Dallas. The Weber State product made all but one of his six shot attempts. Superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had nothing but praise for the first-round rookie, according to the Thunder’s Nick Gallo (Twitter link). “He’s getting his feet work, getting more comfortable… He’s doing a great job,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He’s keeping his head. He’s getting better. That’s all you can ask for.“
The Nuggets were close to trading up for Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic in the 2018 draft, former Denver Post writer Mike Singer said on Brian Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to RealGM). “The Nuggets knew that Vlade Divac was not particularly high on Luka Doncic,” Singer, now an employee of the Nuggets, said. “And they had designs on pairing Nikola Jokic with Luka Doncic. On draft night in 2018, they tried. There was a call placed. There was a proposal and the Nuggets attempted to get the No. 2 pick for Gary Harris and two first round picks was what I was told. You can roll your eyes at that price tag, but look in retrospect. The Kings ended up taking Marvin Bagley with the No. 2 pick. I’m not saying this trade was imminent. All I’m saying is this trade was discussed and considered because the Nuggets knew Vlade Divac was not particularly high on Luka Doncic and they tried to exploit it.”
The Nuggets also previously tried to acquire Sasha Vezenkov in 2016, the former Kings forward said in a podcast, per a report from Eurohoops.net. “Jokic called me back in 2016, way before he became a three-time MVP,” Vezenkov said. “Back then, he wasn’t a superstar. He told me the Nuggets wanted me. They were signing European players. But I hesitated. I was an insecure 20-year-old. After playing in Europe, they lost interest. I don’t think about it a lot, but I often wonder what could have been.” Vezenkov made his NBA debut last year for Sacramento, but he was traded and then bought out in the offseason as he decided to head back overseas.
After a 45-point loss last week, the Trail Blazers restored good vibes by winning three in a row, Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report writes. Shaedon Sharpe has 65 points in his last two games, rookie Donovan Clingan is standing out, and bench players like Dalano Banton have played well during the streak.

Northwest Notes: Clingan, Sharpe, Avdija, Gobert, Kessler

November 14th, 2024 at 10:51am CST by Dana Gauruder

With Robert Williams sitting out and Deandre Ayton sidelined by a finger injury, Trail Blazers lottery pick Donovan Clingan had his best outing of the season in a win over Minnesota on Wednesday. In 31 minutes, Clingan racked up 17 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks.

“I love defense,” Clingan told Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. “It brings energy to the team. That’s how you win ballgames.”

Shaedon Sharpe also had a big night with 33 points in 36 minutes. Coach Chauncey Billups was thrilled with Sharpe’s assertiveness.

“Shae is such a teammate and he doesn’t want to step on anybody’s toes and wants to just kind of fit in,” Billups said. “And I’m telling him, ‘No, you need to go.’ I’ve got to force him. But he’ll get used to it. He loves that we depend on him to do some of those things. The more that happens, the more he’ll get used to it.”

Sharpe will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Deni Avdija, who is now coming off the bench for the Trail Blazers, had a notable outing against Minnesota on Tuesday. He accumulated 17 points, four rebounds and five assists in 25 minutes. In Wednesday’s win, Avdija added seven points and six rebounds in 18 minutes. Billups believes Avdija is well suited for a bench role, according to Aaron Fentress of Oregonlive.com. “Deni is tough,” Billups said. “He plays with a lot of fire. And we need that. We got a lot of kind of easy-going chill guys out there, and his mentality, we need it.”
The Timberwolves have a 6-6 record after those back-to-back losses to Portland. Rudy Gobert told Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he blames himself for the latest defeats. “Those two games are mostly on me defensively,” Gobert said. “I need to set the tone for the team, and I haven’t done it these last two games.”
Jazz center Walker Kessler hasn’t played since Saturday and he’ll miss Thursday’s game against the Mavericks, Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets. The team is labeling the ailment as right hip bursitis. Kessler is averaging 9.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per contest.

Northwest Notes: Sharpe, Jazz, Edwards, Conley

November 8th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

There were no signs of rust for Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe as he made his season debut Thursday night in San Antonio, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Sharpe had been sidelined since early October after suffering a labral tear in his left shoulder during training camp. He entered the game late in the first quarter and contributed 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting.

“I was worried that he would be a little antsy,” coach Chauncey Billups said. “And kind of do some things, just because he was just getting back, that would be uncharacteristic of him. But he never did that. He looked great. I thought his shot selection was good, for the most part. Defensively, I thought he was sound.”

Fentress notes that the Blazers are counting on Sharpe to spark an offense that currently ranks 25th in the league at 107.8 points per game. He has the ability to create his own shot and is equally dangerous from beyond the arc or driving to the basket.

Sharpe admitted feeling some nervousness about his first game of the season, but added that it didn’t last long.

“Two up and downs and I was straight,” he said.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Jazz are emphasizing player development this season, but coach Will Hardy relied heavily on his veterans in Thursday’s loss at Milwaukee, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Kyle Filipowski, Isaiah Collier and Brice Sensabaugh all found themselves out of the rotation as Utah slipped to 1-7. “I have the long view in mind for all of these guys. The reality is that we can‘t play every young guy every night. That’s not how this is going to work. This is the NBA, and there is a level of earning minutes that has to happen,” Hardy said. “I think this notion of like, just getting minutes helps you get better is not true. Just playing for playing’s sake doesn’t just make them better. That’s why we have practices. That’s why we have the G League. There’s so many ways that we’re going to use all of our resources to help all these guys get better.”
The Timberwolves took over Thursday’s game at Chicago, but not before allowing 65 first-half points to a Bulls team that was missing Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball. Anthony Edwards told reporters, including Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, that the lack of early focus on defense is becoming a problem. “We ain’t taking no pride in stopping nobody right now early in the game,” Edwards said. “That’s troubling. That’s scary. We’ve got to figure that part out. We’re terrible until we get down. When we get down, that’s when everybody wants to play defense. But if we play from the beginning, we’ll be the best team.”
With 14 points and 11 assists Thursday, 37-year-old guard Mike Conley became the oldest player in Timberwolves history to post a double-double (Twitter video link from Dane Moore).

Blazers’ Shaedon Sharpe Could Make Season Debut Thursday

November 6th, 2024 at 8:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe, who has been shelved all season with a labral tear in his left shoulder, has had his status upgraded to questionable prior to Portland’s Thursday matchup against the Spurs, reports Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Twitter link).

The intriguing third-year swingman could make his season debut in San Antonio.

At 3-5, the Trail Blazers have managed to be a bit more chippy and competitive without Sharpe than fans or pundits initially anticipated.

Head coach Chauncey Billups has opted to start reserve wing Toumani Camara at small forward, while shifting nominal starting three Deni Avdija to Sharpe’s shooting guard spot.

Camara’s emergence as a two-way weapon has been a positive development in Portland. He was selected with the No. 52 pick in the 2023 draft, but even as a rookie began to assert himself defensively. This year, he’s been demonstrating an impressive shooting touch. Across his eight games as a starter thus far, the 6’8″ second-year pro is averaging 9.8 points on .460/.481/.636 shooting splits, along with 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per night.

Sharpe, a lottery pick in 2022, averaged an impressive 15.9 PPG while slashing .406/.333/.824 in his 32 healthy games last season. He also notched 5.0 RPG, 2.9 APG and 0.9 SPG. He seems destined to take over the starting two-guard slot for the Trail Blazers whenever he does return, but it remains to be seen whether Avdija or Camara will be Billups’ long-term solution at small forward.

Injury Notes: Kawhi, Vassell, Sharpe, Huerter, Grizzlies, Livers

October 23rd, 2024 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard won’t be making his season debut anytime soon, ESPN’s Shams Charania said during Wednesday’s episode of NBA Today (Twitter video link). According to Charania, Leonard’s absence will be measured in weeks rather than days.

“I’m told Kawhi Leonard will be missing weeks,” Charania said. “This is not an injury that’s going to be measured by a week (or) two weeks, potentially. Not days, obviously. This will be an extended period of time that the Clippers are starting this season without him.”

Leonard battled inflammation in his right knee at the end of the 2023/24 season that flared up again during the summer. While it’s obviously problematic that he’s not ready for the start of the season, Charania suggests there’s optimism that once the two-time Finals MVP gets back on the court, he won’t be in and out of the lineup.

“I’m told they feel they have a plan and a protocol in place that will allow him, when he is ready to return, to actually sustain his play on the court,” Charania said.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Spurs guard Devin Vassell still hasn’t been cleared to take contact, but the team remains hopeful that he’ll be ready to return from foot surgery sometime in early November, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Vassell is scheduled to be reevaluated on Nov. 1.
Shaedon Sharpe is making good progress in his return from a labral tear in his left shoulder, according to Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link), who says the Trail Blazers guard has been cleared for non-contact basketball activities and is shooting and going through ball-handling drills in practice. A return in early- to mid-November return still seems realistic, Highkin adds.
Kings wing Kevin Huerter, who missed the preseason and hasn’t played since March 18 due to shoulder surgery, will be available to suit up on Thursday vs. Minnesota, tweets Sean Cunningham of FOX 40 Sacramento. Head coach Mike Brown previously told reporters that Huerter would “probably start” if he’s ready to go for Thursday’s regular season opener.
The NBA’s most injury-plagued team last season, the Grizzlies will open the 2024/25 campaign with five players sidelined. The team has officially confirmed (via Twitter) that GG Jackson II (foot), Jaren Jackson Jr. (hamstring), Luke Kennard (foot), Cam Spencer (ankle), and Vince Williams (leg) are all unavailable for Wednesday’s regular season opener in Utah.
Free agent forward Isaiah Livers announced on Instagram that he underwent a hip resurfacing surgical procedure last Friday after playing through a hip injury for the past two seasons (hat tip to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press). It’s unclear how long the recovery process will take, but it seems safe to assume Livers won’t be an option for an NBA team until at least sometime in 2025.

Trail Blazers Exercise 2025/26 Team Options On Three Players

October 19th, 2024 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers have picked up their 2025/26 team options for three players who are on rookie scale contracts, the team announced today in a press release.

The options exercised by Portland are as follows:

Scoot Henderson (third year, $10,748,040)
Shaedon Sharpe (fourth year, $8,399,983)
Kris Murray (third year, $3,132,000)

None of the decisions come as a surprise. Henderson and Sharpe project to be long-term cornerstones for the Blazers, while Murray showed some promise in his rookie season and has a salary not far above the veteran’s minimum.

Henderson, 20, had an up-and-down rookie campaign after being selected third overall in the 2023 draft. He finished last season with averages of 14.0 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in 28.5 minutes per game (62 games) and an underwhelming shooting line of .385/.325/.819. However, the Blazers remain confident that he’s capable of much more going forward.

Sharpe has been bitten by the injury bug in the past year. He was limited to 32 games last season due to health issues, including core muscle surgery, and is currently on the shelf due to a shoulder ailment. He averaged 15.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 2.9 APG on .406/.333/.824 shooting when healthy last season.

Murray averaged 6.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 1.3 APG in 62 games (21.7 MPG) as a rookie, with a shooting line of .396/.268/.661.

Sharpe will now become eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2024 offseason, while the Blazers will have decisions to make on fourth-year options for Henderson and Murray by October 31, 2025.

Shaedon Sharpe To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Shoulder Injury

October 5th, 2024 at 3:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

Shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe has suffered a small posterior labral tear in his left shoulder and will likely be sidelined four to six weeks, the Trail Blazers announced (via Twitter). Sharpe underwent an MRI this week that confirmed the injury.

It’s a frustrating way to start the season for Portland, which is counting on the 21-year-old to be one of the cornerstones of its youth movement. Sharpe underwent core muscle surgery last season and was limited to 32 games, averaging 15.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 33.1 minutes per night.

He was fully recovered by summer and was able to take part in a pre-Olympic camp with Team Canada. He also played in an August pro-am game in Vancouver.

After being selected with the seventh pick in the 2022 draft, Sharpe showed flashed of stardom in his first season as the Blazers began moving toward a younger roster. He’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer, so it would benefit him to have a healthy season.

A four-week absence would have Sharpe back in the lineup by November 2, which means he would only miss six games. If the injury keeps him out the full six weeks, he’ll be sidelined for an additional seven games.

Blazers Notes: Williams, Roster, Billups, Clingan, Ayton, Camara

October 1st, 2024 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

After undergoing knee surgery last fall that ended his season early and limited him to just six appearances in 2023/24, Trail Blazers center Robert Williams has been taking part in five-on-five scrimmages in recent weeks and expects to be ready for the start of the season, writes Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. While Williams may be held out of some activities during training camp and the preseason, he’s excited about nearing the end of a long recovery process.

“I’m in a great space right now,” Williams said on Monday. “Trying to stay on top of everything physically and mentally. It’s been a long seven months. A long fight back. But I’m just ready to get back on the court, man. You saw me smiling when I came in here. At one point, I couldn’t even walk, you feel what I’m saying? So I’m just ready to get back out there and show what I can do.”

Williams has been slowed by injuries over the course of his NBA career, having played more than 35 regular season games just twice in six years. However, he has made a significant on-court impact when healthy, earning a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team in Boston in 2022. The big man, who will turn 27 this month, expressed confidence in his chances of returning to that level.

“I feel like I’m there,” he told reporters, per Highkin. “I’ve been playing five-on-five a lot over the past month. But it’s been a nonstop grind since I hurt myself last year. Starting then, from the rehab process to getting back out on the court, everything I went through, it’s been a long grind. I feel like I’m ready.”

Here’s more on the Trail Blazers:

After finishing last season with a 21-61 record, the Trail Blazers know they’re unlikely to take a major step toward contention until young cornerstones like Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Donovan Clingan are ready to contribute at a high level. “Until those guys take steps and start playing winning basketball, we’re not going to win at the level we need to,” general manager Joe Cronin said, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. “So, part of it’s up to them. When will you guys be ready? When will you take these next steps, and when can you really impact the game instead of just showing flashes or have a good five-game run.”
According to Highkin, Cronin likes the fact that the roster has some continuity heading into the 2024/25 season — the GM acknowledged that the team was somewhat “disjointed” after the front office made a pair of major trades just ahead of training camp last fall. The next step, per Cronin, will be to get a better sense of which players on the current roster are long-term keepers. “One thing we’re really hoping to find this year, throughout this season, and definitely by the end of it, is more clarity,” he said, per Fentress. “Last year, I don’t know how much clarity we walked away with. We saw flashes and capabilities, but we didn’t see sustained production or sustained cohesion. And I think this year, we need to build on that. We need to have a better feel and understanding of what we are, what moves we need to make, what additions we need to have, what’s going really well. We need just more focus on what our long-term outlook is going to look like.”
Head coach Chauncey Billups is entering the final guaranteed year of his current contract (the Blazers hold an option for 2025/26), but he’s not concerned about his “lame duck” status, he said on Monday. “You can be in the first year of your deal, you can be in the last year of your deal. It’s all the same,” Billups said, per Highkin. “You’ve got to go do a good job. And if not, we see it all the time. Coaches get fired and don’t even get to finish their first year. I don’t think about that, I don’t worry about that. What I’m most proud of is, I’m light-years ahead of where I was when I took this microphone three years ago.”
While Portland’s center logjam has been a popular topic of discussion leading up to training camp, there’s no tension between 2024 lottery pick Clingan and former No. 1 overall selection Deandre Ayton, who have been developing a bond ahead of their first season together, Highkin writes. “D.A. is awesome,” Clingan said. “He’s got a lot of energy. He knows the game very well. A lot of skill. To have someone to look up to like that is special. It means a lot to me.”
Second-year Blazers forward Toumani Camara said on Monday that he has fully recovered from the rib and kidney injuries that brought his rookie year to a premature end (Twitter link via Highkin). Camara fractured his left rib and sustained a small laceration in his kidney in March.