Shaedon Sharpe Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Sharpe, Hart, Agbaji, Bolmaro, Towns

October 29th, 2022 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

With Damian Lillard sidelined due to a calf strain, rookie guard Shaedon Sharpe earned his first career NBA start on Friday and didn’t disappoint, scoring 14 points in the Trail Blazers‘ victory over Houston. Given that Sharpe didn’t play at all at Kentucky and just turned 19 this spring, there was a sense that he may not see much action right away, but head coach Chauncey Billups hasn’t hesitated to throw the youngster into the deep end.

“I look at it as, man, we lost a lot of basketball games to get Shaedon Sharpe; let’s play this kid,” Billups said, per Jason Quick of The Athletic. “Let me see what he’s got.”

While Sharpe wasn’t the reason Portland won on Friday, he was the Blazers’ most electrifying player, throwing down three big dunks over the course of the night and earning praise from coaches and teammates alike, with Billups calling him “must-see TV.” Veteran Blazers center Drew Eubanks is among those already excited about Sharpe’s long-term potential.

“I heard Dame say it earlier this year, he was saying like, Shaedon is the type of talent that could take us over the edge of being a fringe playoff team into a full-blown playoff team fighting for a championship,” Eubanks said. “When he said that, I was like, ‘Damn, I’m gonna kind of take that with a grain of salt.’ Because I hadn’t seen Shaedon play … but after watching him play these first six games, and in preseason, I’m like, he’s super talented. He has the world at his fingertips. I believe what Dame said now, for sure.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Trail Blazers forward Josh Hart has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol, tweets Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Hart suffered the injury on Friday when he hit his head on the floor after a drive to the basket.
Ochai Agbaji and Leandro Bolmaro, two young players acquired in Utah’s blockbuster summer trades, got their first extended run with the Jazz on Friday night, as Sarah Todd of The Deseret News details. Agabaji scored nine points in 19 minutes, while Bolmaro flashed promising play-making and defense and was a plus-16 in 15 minutes. The Jazz have until Monday’s deadline to exercise Bolmaro’s $2.59MM option for the 2023/24 season.
As the Timberwolves adjust to their new-look frontcourt that now features Karl-Anthony Towns at power forward instead of center, head coach Chris Finch continues to praise his All-Star big man for his willingness to accommodate Rudy Gobert, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “That guy is All-NBA. There’s no other All-NBA player who is being asked to play a completely different position,” Finch said. “One that he’s willing to do and has approached it with an open mind-set, and he’s actually embraced it.”

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, McDaniels, Azubuike, Sharpe

October 14th, 2022 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

After replacing his old boss Tim Connelly this offseason, new Nuggets head of basketball operations Calvin Booth had a busy summer, trading for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith, signing Bruce Brown and DeAndre Jordan in free agency, and using first-round picks on Christian Braun and Peyton Watson.

Speaking to Mark Medina of NBA.com, Booth said the Nuggets’ offseason goals were to upgrade their defense, get more athletic, and add more two-way talents. He feels the team accomplished those goals.

“With KCP, we have one of the best 3-and-D guys in the league, someone with championship experience and a proven vet,” Booth said. “Bruce was one of the most underrated guys in the league last season. We’re finding that out every day in the game with how sophisticated of a game he has.

“Christian and Peyton will eventually address those needs. We valued DeAndre’s vet leadership and the way he communicates. He’s one of the best rebounders of his generation, and he can still do that. Ish Smith has been a great addition as well and brings different levels of speed and pace to the game.”

In his Q&A with Medina, Booth also discussed several other Nuggets-related topics, including Nikola Jokic‘s chances of winning a third consecutive MVP award, Jamal Murray‘s return from an ACL tear, and Booth’s own contract extension with the franchise.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Even though John Hollinger of The Athletic believes the Nuggets have a chance to come out of the West this season, he thinks there are still too many question marks related to the team’s depth and returning stars to actually forecast such a scenario. In his preview of Denver’s season, Hollinger projects a 50-32 record and a fourth-place finish in the West.
Jaden McDaniels will be the Timberwolves‘ starting small forward to open the 2022/23 season, sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. McDaniels, whom the team worked hard to keep out of the Rudy Gobert trade, will fill out a star-studded lineup that features Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns up front, with Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell in the backcourt.
Jazz center Udoka Azubuike, who underwent surgery on his right foot and ankle in March, was cleared to practice in full on Thursday for the first time in seven months, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “I was excited about it,” Azubuike said. “We did some exercises in the morning before practice, and that felt good. Then, me going out there, getting a rep and you know, I’m just excited. It really felt good.” It remains to be seen if the former first-round pick will earn a spot on Utah’s regular season roster, since the team has 18 players on standard contracts and will need to make cuts by Monday.
Trail Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe has signed with agent Mike George of One Legacy Sports for representation, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Shaedon Sharpe Resumes Shooting After Shoulder Injury

August 13th, 2022 at 9:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

Trail Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe, who injured his shoulder last month during his first Summer League game, has resumed shooting, tweets Casey Holdahl of TrailBlazers.com. Holdahl doesn’t know exactly when team doctors gave their approval for Sharpe to begin shooting again.

The seventh pick in this year’s draft, Sharpe suffered a “small” labral tear in his left shoulder, according to a press release from the team. The 19-year-old guard was expected to be fully recovered in time for training camp, and this is an important step along the way.

Sharpe played just six minutes before the injury occurred, disappointing fans who had hoped to see him in action after he sat out last season at Kentucky. The Canadian native was a five-star recruit out of high school and made a strong impression on scouts who watched him practice with the Wildcats.

Shaedon Sharpe Won’t Need Shoulder Surgery For Labral Tear

July 20th, 2022 at 9:58pm CST by Rory Maher

Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe, the No. 7 overall pick of last month’s draft, won’t require surgery to repair the small labral tear in his left shoulder, the team announced in a press release.

The 19-year-old will continue to rehab the injury and is expected to be ready to go for training camp in the fall, per the team.

Sharpe was technically enrolled at Kentucky for his first and only college season in 2021/22 but never actually played for the Wildcats, making him one of the biggest mysteries of this year’s draft. He was injured just six minutes into his Summer League debut against Detroit on July 7, so Portland fans will have to wait a few more months to see him play.

While Sharpe was viewed as a high-risk, high-reward prospect due to the fact that he hadn’t played in a competitive setting for nearly a year, the Blazers clearly felt comfortable enough to select him with their mid-lottery pick. He will be one of the more interesting rookies to follow in ’22/23.

Shaedon Sharpe To Miss Rest Of Summer League With Shoulder Tear

July 9th, 2022 at 2:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Trail Blazers rookie swingman Shaedon Sharpe is set to miss the rest of this year’s Las Vegas Summer League after suffering a “small” labral tear in his left shoulder, the team has announced in a press release.

Portland adds that Sharpe, the No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft out of Kentucky, will have his injury reassessed in 10-to-14 days. He suited up for just six minutes during an eventual 81-78 loss to the Pistons Thursday before incurring the injury. He shot 1-of-3 from the floor in that time. The 6’6″ wing promptly left the game to undergo imaging.

A hyper-athletic, high-upside prospect, Sharpe never played a game for the Wildcats. Sharpe’s original intention was to redshirt his first season with Kentucky during the 2021/22 collegiate season, and then suit up in ’22/23. When it became clear he would be a lottery selection, Sharpe opted to enter the 2022 draft pool.

The 19-year-old inked a rookie-scale contract with Portland last week. Provided the Trail Blazers pick up his options, Sharpe would earn $27,340,903 over the full four-year deal.

Shaedon Sharpe Expected To Undergo MRI On Shoulder

July 8th, 2022 at 7:06am CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe played just six minutes in his Summer League debut on Thursday before sustaining a left shoulder injury, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, who tweets that Sharpe is expected to undergo an MRI to assess the severity of the injury.

Sharpe, who was technically enrolled at Kentucky for his first and only college season in 2021/22, never actually played for the team, making him one of the biggest mysteries of this year’s draft. However, Portland was willing to bet on his upside, making him the No. 7 overall pick last month.

Fans and league observers eager to watch Sharpe during the Las Vegas Summer League might only end up getting a brief glimpse — even if the 19-year-old’s shoulder injury isn’t serious, the Blazers may play it safe and shut him down for the rest of the event.

Sharpe signed his rookie scale contract last Friday, locking in a $6MM+ guaranteed salary for 2022/23.

Northwest Notes: Gobert, Hardy, Holmgren, Sharpe

July 6th, 2022 at 7:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Minnesota fans have been some of Rudy Gobert‘s harshest critics, but that’s going to change now that he’s a member of the Timberwolves, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. With the lifting of the league moratorium, the Wolves officially sent four players and five first-round picks to Utah in exchange for Gobert, who expressed his excitement about joining his new team at a press conference today.

The organization has received criticism for giving up so much to acquire the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and for pairing him with Karl-Anthony Towns when so many teams are downsizing. New president of basketball operations Tim Connelly dismissed those concerns, insisting that Gobert provides what the Wolves have been lacking.

“He doesn’t inhibit anything we have presently,” Connelly said. “He makes it better. He augments what we have presently. So, when we look at fit, it’s not just about talent. It’s about kind of developing the team … and he’s going to make it better.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

New head coach Will Hardy found he has “a lot of touchpoints” with the Jazz involving players and the front office, tweets Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. “It’s been great to get some feedback from them,” Hardy said, “but I also feel like I’m coming in eyes wide open and want to kind of formulate my own opinions and develop my own relationships.”
Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren made an impact in his first Summer League game Tuesday night, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. The No. 2 overall pick had 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting and registered seven rebounds, four assists and a league record six blocks in 24 minutes. “Gotta be better,” Holmgren said. “You can never really have a perfect game, but that’s what you strive for.”
Shaedon Sharpe‘s teammates with the Trail Blazers‘ Summer League squad have been raving about his performance in practice, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Summer League will provide the first major exposure for the No. 7 overall pick, who didn’t play in college. “He’s a freak athlete,” Keon Johnson said. “He can score the ball, but he can also defend. I see why we drafted him. I feel like me and him are very similar in many different ways.”

Trail Blazers Sign Shaedon Sharpe

July 1st, 2022 at 1:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Shaedon Sharpe, the seventh pick in last week’s draft, has signed his rookie contract with the Trail Blazers, the team announced in a press release.

The 19-year-old Canadian was considered a wild card heading into the draft because he didn’t play college basketball. Scouts watched his practices at Kentucky, but hadn’t seen him in action in a competitive environment since he left high school.

As the No. 7 selection, Sharpe will receive $6,012,960 during his first season if he signs for the maximum allowable 120% of the rookie scale, which virtually all first-round picks do. He’s eligible to make $27,340,903 over the four-year contract, assuming the Blazers pick up his options.

Sharpe is expected to play for Portland’s entry in the Las Vegas Summer League, which starts next week.

Southwest Notes: Green, Grizzlies Draft, Daniels, Grant

June 27th, 2022 at 5:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman says the status of Danny Green, who was traded from Philadelphia to Memphis, has yet to be determined, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. The Grizzlies have a July 1 deadline to decide whether to guarantee the remainder of his contract or cut loose Green, who tore his ACL in the playoffs and is expected to miss most or all of next season.

Green received a $6,964,781 guarantee on his $10MM salary as part of the trade, as Eric Pincus of SportsBusinessClassroom.com explains. That was the minimum amount that had to be guaranteed in order to legally match De’Anthony Melton‘s salary. If they waive Green by July 1, the Grizzlies would avoid paying the remaining $3MM+ owed to Green.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

The Grizzlies wound up with four players via the draft and the common denominator was 3-point shooting, Cole writes in a separate story. Each player shot at least 38% from deep in their final college season. “That’s going to open things up for us,” Kleiman said. “That was a priority for us.”
The Pelicans were holding their breath that G League Ignite guard Dyson Daniels would still be on the board with the No. 8 pick, according to William Guillory of The Athletic. They weren’t sure what the Trail Blazers would do at No. 7 — not only which player they wanted, but whether they would deal the pick. Portland wound up taking Shaedon Sharpe, leaving Daniels available for New Orleans. “We had a couple guys we liked that went after, but Dyson was the guy,” Pelicans GM Trajan Langdon said. “We had some intel that Portland liked Dyson and they liked Shaedon. So, there was a chance they could’ve taken (Dyson) at (No. 7). When they took Shaedon, the room exploded.”
Mavericks assistant GM Keith Grant announced his retirement Monday after 42 seasons, according to a team press release. “Keith Grant is an NBA legend with a heart of gold,” team owner Mark Cuban said in the statement. “He did so much for the Mavs, and he made our organization and our community better. I can’t express enough appreciation for everything that KG has done for this franchise.” Grant has been an assistant GM since 1998.

Trail Blazers Notes: Sharpe, Lillard, Durant, Free Agency

June 25th, 2022 at 6:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

Shaedon Sharpe required more in-depth scouting than the other top prospects in Thursday’s draft, but the Trail Blazers are comfortable that they made the right decision, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Because Sharpe never played after enrolling at Kentucky, general manager Joe Cronin sought game film of him in international competitions and anything else he could find. Cronin was sold on Sharpe after bringing him to Portland for a 3-on-3 workout.

“Shaedon is an incredible talent,” Cronin said. “We’re really excited about his future. It was a unique situation with Shaedon where he didn’t play college basketball. So he wasn’t seen or evaluated nearly as much as a lot of these other guys. But we were lucky enough to have we had a pretty good foundation built on Shaedon through our past viewings, specifically some of the new people we hired who had seen him a little bit.”

Cronin was referring to new assistant GM Mike Schmitz, who was very familiar with Sharpe from his former role as an ESPN draft analyst. Sharpe fills a need for the Blazers, who were in the market for an athletic wing that can score, and the 19-year-old offered Portland fans a preview of what they can expect.

“I’m a dude that likes to attack the rim, draw some fouls, finish above the rim, also get my teammates involved and really just shooting the 3,” he said. “Just impacting the game.”

There’s more from Portland:

The Blazers were torn between Sharpe and G League guard Dyson Daniels with the No. 7 pick, and Damian Lillard appears to have influenced the final decision, writes Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated. Lillard was impressed by Sharpe during his two visits to Portland, and the front office made numerous calls to Kentucky staffers to check on his background.
Lillard caused a stir on social media today when he posted a photoshopped image on Instagram of himself and Kevin Durant both wearing Trail Blazers uniforms. Rumors that Durant may be on the move have been flying since reports of a contract impasse between the Nets and Kyrie Irving.
While the Blazers appear to be improved following the draft and this week’s trade for Jerami Grant, Cronin understands that more needs to be done to become a contender again, per Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Portland figures to have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, along with a bi-annual exception worth about $4MM, two small trade exceptions and tradeable salaries in Eric Bledsoe, Josh Hart and Justise Winslow. “What’s next is keep on the path,” Cronin said. “We’re trying to be really aggressive. We know we’re not good enough. We want to keep trying to get better. So, it’s continuing to address these needs. The draft is a big trade day, but it’s not the end-all as far as trades go.”