Shaedon Sharpe may end up as the most important reserve the Portland Trail Blazers have next season, and that says plenty about how much the rotation is about to change.
With Ja Morant and Damian Lillard projected to start in the backcourt, Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson and Sharpe are set to work off the bench. Among that group, Sharpe stands out as the best bet to bring real scoring punch. He’s the one with the clearest chance to change a game with his shot-making.
That matters because Sharpe is not your typical reserve scorer. He averaged more than 20 points per game last season, and he’s still expected to come off the bench in 2026-27. Portland is bringing Lillard back after his torn Achilles and adding Morant in the trade that sent Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to Memphis, so the guard picture has been completely reshaped.
Sharpe’s own season gave the Blazers a pretty clear split. He dealt with injuries late in the year, which limited him during the playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs. He also ended up in a bench role behind Henderson, which gave the team a preview of what it looks like when Sharpe is not in the starting five.
The numbers show how much more dangerous he is when he opens games. Sharpe averaged 21.9 points per game as a starter last season, compared with 15.4 off the bench.
He also logged more minutes in the starting lineup. That doesn’t mean the reserve role won’t matter; it just shows Portland is asking him to do more with less.
As one anonymous scout told The Oregonian's Joe Freeman, "I see him being a piece you can really develop. He’s a young athlete and he averaged 21 a game his fourth year.
That’s not easy in this league. I know they have other scorers.
And that number goes down if Dame (Lillard) comes back and has the ball all the time. Could (Sharpe) be a system guy?
It could work if you’re playing up-tempo,"
The scout added, "If you’re playing slow, maybe you get a more disciplined shooting guard to go with Toumani (Camara). Again, there’s no coach and no real direction. But I think this kid’s got upside.”
For Sharpe, the shift will be about adjustment. Lillard and Morant arriving forces everyone else to move pieces around, and Sharpe may be the player facing the toughest move from starter to second unit. Still, he already has his long-term contract in place, with $90 million coming over the next four seasons.
So the pressure isn’t about money. It’s about fit, role and production.
If Sharpe handles the bench assignment and keeps scoring, he gives Portland something it will need right away. And if he plays well enough, he could be back in the starting lineup down the road once Lillard leaves the team and retires in the coming years.
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