Shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe has suffered a small posterior labral tear in his left shoulder and will likely be sidelined for four to six weeks, the Trail Blazers announced (via X). Sharpe underwent an MRI this week that confirmed the injury.
It’s a frustrating way to start the season for Portland, which is counting on the 21-year-old to be one of the cornerstones of its youth movement. Sharpe underwent core muscle surgery last season and was limited to 32 games, averaging 15.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 33.1 minutes per night.
He was fully recovered by summer and was able to take part in a pre-Olympic camp with Team Canada. He also played in an August pro-am game in Vancouver.
After being selected with the seventh pick in the 2022 draft, Sharpe showed flashes of stardom in his first season as the Blazers began moving toward a younger roster. He’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer, so it would benefit him to have a healthy season.
A four-week absence would have Sharpe back in the lineup by Nov. 2, which means he would only miss six games. If the injury keeps him out the full six weeks, he’ll be sidelined for an additional seven games.
