SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – DECEMBER 02: Shaedon Sharpe #17 of the Portland Trail Blazers dunks over Walker Kessler #24 of the Utah Jazz during the second half of a game at Delta Center on December 02, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
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Shaedon Sharpe, and his representation, is looking for a deal in the range of $100 million over four seasons, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.
An annual price tag of $25 million, which would kick in by 2026, is a deal the Blazers should leap at, for a number of reasons.
Players are pushing back
The restricted free agency market, which has historically been a time in which teams could squeeze players, is changing. Just this year, Cam Thomas of the Brooklyn Nets, and Quentin Grimes of the Philadelphia 76ers, picked up their 1-year qualifying offers, making them entirely unrestricted next summer.
Even Jonathan Kuminga, of the Golden State Warriors, agreed to a deal that’s practically built for him and the team to split, and he will be able to taste unrestricted free agency in 2027, and maybe even a year before.
That is a sign to NBA teams, from players, that they’re tired of being squeezed. It leaves the player with enough power to walk away, with the team receiving no assets in return for his departure.
The Blazers must quickly realize that Sharpe, despite the fact that he’s still rough around the edges, has produced enough to warrant a big contract, and a price point of $100 million, over four years, is not that expensive when you consider the increasing cap, and the expected further improvement of Sharpe himself, who is just 22 years old.
Production & potential
Sharpe, who averaged 18.5 points last year, is by no means a perfect player. He isn’t a strong long-range shooter, nor does he defend at a particularly high level – although there have been periods where he’s shown flashes.
It might be easy for Portland to point at his production, and argue it isn’t good enough, but the allure of Sharpe’s potential shouldn’t be ignored. He’s highly athletic, can create his own offense, and while he hasn’t hit a high enough percentage of his three-pointers yet, there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with his release.
If anything, Sharpe has shown year-to-year developing despite some of his struggles, which signals that when the three-point shot comes around, it could open up his entire game.
Furthermore, Sharpe at $25 million per year is indeed very tradable. Portland wouldn’t be stuck with his contract, and unable to move off of it.
Technically, Sharpe and the Blazers could even do something clever here.
They could agree to a deal with a flat rate of $25 million per year. That lowers the annual cap percentage of Sharpe, as the cap increases. Portland will likely keep him around for at least another few years to see if he pops, and if he doesn’t, a reasonable cap percentage isn’t impossible to move.
There are loads of options here that the Blazers and Sharpe could explore, but it’s crucial they do it together, as to actually build a sustainable relationship.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mortenjensen/2025/10/07/shaedon-sharpe-is-looking-for-100-million-from-blazers/
