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Shaedon Sharpe signs $90M extension with Trail Blazers

Jack PIlgrimby: Jack Pilgrim10 hours ago
Shaedon Sharpe, Kentucky bench
Photo by Dr. Michael Huang | Kentucky Sports Radio

Remember when you got to watch Shaedon Sharpe warm up as a Kentucky Wildcat? Man, what a time that was in Lexington. You just wish there was a way to know we were in the good old days before we left them.

He’s now gonna have $117.3 million in career earnings before he turns 27.

The former none-and-done has agreed to a four-year, $90 million extension with the Portland Trail Blazers after entering the league as a top-10 pick in 2022. He initially signed a four-year, $27.3 million deal as a rookie, selected No. 7 overall.

Sharpe has upped his production in all three seasons as a pro, averaging 9.9 points in 22.2 minutes per game as a rookie, 15.9 points in 33.1 minutes as a sophomore and 18.5 points in 31.3 minutes per game in year three — good for second on the team behind now-Celtic Anfernee Simons. He’s now expected to be Portland’s go-to scorer in 2025-26.

“I’m seeing just a high level of focus,” Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said of Sharpe. “… He’s continued to stay focused and I’m proud of that. You just continue to keep getting more and more confidence in him and put him in different tough spots out there.”

He’s dealt with injury issues, limited to 72 games as a rookie and 32 as a sophomore, but the potential speaks for itself — he received a vote for being the potential face of the NBA in five years in an anonymous player poll last season.

That’s because he does ridiculous stuff like this all the time.

Sharpe was the prized piece of Kentucky’s 2022 recruiting class when he committed as the No. 1 overall prospect, then reclassified and enrolled mid-season with a plan of training with the Wildcats for the spring semester as a redshirt before returning in 2022-23 as the team’s star.

Then he entered the NBA Draft, forgoing his eligibility without ever playing a minute in Lexington.

“I did talk to Cal about it, my coach, trainer, even my parents. But, at the end of the day, it was my decision to not play,” Sharpe said at the time. “… So I was just in the gym every day, working out. Really, for me, whatever happened would happen, and I’d be ready for it.”

He warmed up with the team — Coach Cal told fans to come to games early just to watch him throw down dunks in the layup line — and dominated in practice, but was totally content watching the Wildcats get wrecked by the injury bug late before ultimately losing in the first round to Saint Peter’s in the NCAA Tournament.

Now, he’s a $117 million man in the NBA.

At least we’ll always have those workout videos.

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2025-10-19