Shaedon Sharpe

A late-riser up the prospect charts, Sharpe was essentially off the radar until late in high school. And while he committed to play collegiately at Kentucky, he never saw the floor, opting to sit out the year to better prepare for the NBA. That's created an air of mystery around the Canadian wing, who went No. 7 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft to the Trail Blazers. Sharpe's minimal Summer League action before suffering a labral tear in his left shoulder - he's expected to be ready for camp - adds to the mystery. Sharpe compares his game to Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that his strengths are ballhandling and perimeter shooting. However, he's a better vertical athlete than the pair, sporting an unofficially-measured 40-plus-inch vertical leap. That athleticism also allows him to make contortionist layups that other shooting guards can't. His off-ball defense is lacking, but, in theory, strong NBA coaching can fix that. He at least has the physical tools to be disruptive on that end. But, for as much potential as he has, it's not clear if he'll play enough as a rookie to be fantasy relevant. Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons are starting in the backcourt, and Sharpe will have to compete against Gary Payton, Josh Hart and Keon Johnson for backup minutes. A best-case scenario is probably a sixth-man role, but that's pretty optimistic. For now, Sharpe is a better target in keeper/dynasty leagues.