The Portland Trail Blazers’ training camp is well underway, and the team is preparing for a big 2025-26 campaign. Individually, no player on the roster may have as much riding the upcoming season as Shaedon Sharpe, whose potential is becoming an increasingly hot topic as his rookie contract nears its end. The seventh overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Sharpe has shown he fits well into Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups’ system before.
By the sound of his teammates, he’s proving himself again.
Shaedon Sharpe Showing He Deserves Second Blazers Contract
Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Trail Blazers have considerable hype behind them. Buoyed by hard-nosed defense and the evolution of Deni Avdija, the second half of 2024-25 was enough to get people excited about Billups’ team. Their offseason moves –namely the return of Damian Lillard, the trade for Jrue Holiday, and the drafting of Hansen Yang –have only heightened the atmosphere.
Of course, Portland might be reeling from hopeful future franchise point guard Scoot Henderson going down with an unexpected offseason injury. Even so, another youngster is tearing it up for Portland.
Rave Training Camp Reviews
Yang has been turning heads in training camp, but Sharpe has arguably been the Blazers’ biggest standout.
Holiday, who’s one of the newest players on the team but still a 16-year NBA veteran, has notably seen big positives from the 22-year-old: “Shaedon, man. I think everybody knows the talent that he is and what he can do, but that boy can hoop. When you go up against him in practice, first-hand, every single day, he’s got it…”
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) October 2, 2025
He’s been cooking me, for sure,” Holiday says.
Corroborating Holiday’s report, Billups tells reporters: “Yeah, Shaedon’s been playing really well, practicing really well. I think he’s doing good on both sides of the ball right now. Offensively, he’s in a really nice rhythm, he’s getting where he wants to go with the ball…”
Making The Contract Decision Easier
Now that he is in his fourth NBA season, Sharpe is on the cusp of earning a long-term contract extension. He could even become one of the top earners on the roster after the 2025-26 season. However, to earn that deal, he must stay the course in his development. An uber-athletic perimeter player who’s listed at 6-foot-6 and yet has a 6-foot-11 wingspan, he certainly has all the physical tools to become a star. Indeed, he’s arguably the league’s most athletic player.
He just has to put it all together.
Shaedon Sharpe has what Tracy McGrady had in his smooth skill and fluidity packaged in with freakish athleticism. The shooting stroke and pace is pure. pic.twitter.com/BMEOL4C3w0
— Ball Don’t Stop (@balldontstop) April 4, 2025
Offensively, Sharpe has proven his ability to shine as a featured scorer, averaging a career-high 18.5 points per game last season. Yet, while the shot-creating and shot-making upside is there, he has to improve his efficiency. His career field goal percentage is not too bad at 44.9%. That’s not the case for his career 3-point percentage (33.0%) and he’s regressed every season since shooting 36.0% from 3 as a rookie.
Frankly, as long as Sharpe continues to improve, his contract extension is an inevitability. Blazers general manager Joe Cronin knows that he needs to keep the promising wing under lock and key. However, though a contract extension is looming, it won’t happen before the 2025-26 season begins.
The Last Word On Shaedon Sharpe
Sharpe is performing well in training camp, and he might fulfill his destiny as the team’s potential superstar. With that being said, the starting lineup for the 2025-26 season opener is still undecided. Though they’re trending in the right direction, they’re still trying to climb out of the NBA’s dungeon, and Billups wants his players to compete for their starting spot.
Apr 6, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups watches from the sideline during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images
If training camp were to end today, they could have a starting lineup of Holiday, Sharpe, Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Donovan Clingan. 11-year NBA veteran Jerami Grant, a versatile perimeter defender who averaged 21.0 points per game his first two seasons in Oregon, might argue. Nevertheless, it’s sounding like Sharpe has impressed enough to be the long-term starter. Again, the talent is there; he just needs to keep fighting in training camp.
Of course, while his scoring chops are the most exhilarating part of his game, Sharpe has to step up defensively too. When Billups decided to demote him to the bench midway through 2024-25, his poor defense was one of the chief reasons. Fortunately, he has veterans like Holiday to help guide him at both ends this time around.
© Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images