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Portland Trail Blazers rookie guard Shaedon Sharpe underwent further evaluation of a small labral tear in his left shoulder, and it has been determined that surgery will not be required, the team announced today.
Sharpe will continue rehabilitation and is expected to be available for Fall training camp.
The injury occurred during Portland’s Summer League game against Detroit on Thursday, July 7.
The Portland Trail Blazers have signed rookie forward Jabari Walker to a standard NBA contract, it was announced today by General Manager Joe Cronin.
Walker, 19, was selected by Portland with the 57th overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft. He has played in three games for the Trail Blazers at the 2022 NBA Summer League, posting averages of 13.0 points (68.2% FG, 37.5% 3-PT, 66.7% FT), 8.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 19.6 minutes per game.
Walker (6-9, 215) played two seasons at Colorado where he averaged 11.5 points (47.9% FG, 39.9% 3-PT, 78.3% FT), 7.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 59 games (33 starts). He was named All-Pac-12 First Team as a sophomore in 2021-22 after averaging 14.6 points (fourth in the Pac-12) and 9.4 rebounds (first in the Pac-12) to go with 1.2 assists in 33 games (all starts). He recorded 17 double-doubles in 2021-22, ranking 10th among all NCAA Division 1 players and leading the Pac-12 Conference. Walker was a 2020-21 Pac-12 Conference All-Freshman Team selection after averaging 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds during his first collegiate campaign.
A native of Wichita, Kansas, Walker is the son of 10-year NBA veteran Samaki Walker.
The Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night, July 9, signed guard Damian Lillard to a multi-year contract extension, it was announced by General Manager Joe Cronin.
The two-year extension keeps Lillard under contract with the Trail Blazers through the 2026-27 season.
Per the Oregonian, “the extension, which is worth a total of $122 million and runs through the 2026-27 season, ups Lillard’s current contract with the Blazers to five years and almost $270 million. That puts him among one of the top earners in NBA history at an estimated $451 million in total salary.”
“Damian Lillard is the greatest player in franchise history and an all-time NBA talent,” said Cronin. “In signing this contract extension, Damian continues his commitment to the city of Portland and the organization. We look forward to his continued excellence here with the Trail Blazers for many years to come.”
Selected as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history ahead of the 2021-22 season, Lillard is the only player in franchise history with six All-NBA honors and one of three players to be named All-NBA First Team while with the Trail Blazers (2017-18). Lillard is a six-time NBA All-Star, a 2021 Olympic Gold Medalist and the unanimous 2012-13 NBA Rookie of the Year.
Winner of the 2018-19 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, the 2019-20 Magic Johnson Award and the 2020-21 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, Lillard holds career averages of 24.6 points (43.7% FG, 37.3% 3-PT, 89.3% FT), 4.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 0.96 steals in 711 games (all starts) over 10 seasons with the Trail Blazers.
More from the Oregonian: “Lillard, 31, is coming off the first injured-plagued season of his NBA career, playing in a career-low 29 games. He underwent abdominal surgery Jan. 13 and last played for the Blazers on Dec. 31. ”
The sixth overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft out of Weber State, Lillard has led the Trail Blazers to eight postseason appearances. He holds career playoff averages of 25.7 points (41.2% FG, 36.9% 3-PT, 88.7% FT), 4.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.18 steals in 61 games (all starts).
Lillard is the all-time franchise leader in scoring average, three-pointers made (2,143) and free throws made (3,917). Additionally, he ranks second in Trail Blazers history in points (17,510), second in field goals (5,725), second in minutes (25,835), third in assists (4,726), fourth in games played (711) and seventh in steals (682).
An MRI on Friday revealed that Portland Trail Blazers rookie guard Shaedon Sharpe has a small labral tear in his left shoulder.
The injury occurred during Portland’s Summer League game against Detroit on Thursday, July 7.
Sharpe will begin immediate rest and rehabilitation. He will miss the remainder of Summer League and will be reevaluated in 10-14 days.
The Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, July 7 re-signed center Drew Eubanks, it was announced by General Manager Joe Cronin.
“Drew’s work ethic and style of play left an imprint on us last season,” said Cronin. “His toughness and ability to finish at the rim will be assets to our frontcourt depth.”
Eubanks, 25, played in 22 games (all starts) for the Trail Blazers last season, posting averages of 14.5 points (64.6% FG, 78.4% FT), 8.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 29.5 minutes per game. He scored 20-plus points on five occasions for Portland and recorded six double-doubles. For the 2021-22 season, Eubanks averaged career-highs of 7.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 71 games (31 starts) with Portland and San Antonio.
A four-year NBA veteran out of Reynolds High School in Troutdale and Oregon State University, Eubanks (6-9, 245) holds career averages of 5.9 points (59.0% FG, 75.3% FT), 4.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 170 games (37 starts) with Portland and San Antonio.
The Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, July 6 re-signed center Jusuf Nurkic and guard Anfernee Simons.
“It was incredibly important to us to bring back both Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons as key pieces of our core,” said Blazers General Manager Joe Cronin. “Nurk’s physicality, rebounding prowess and defensive acumen make him an integral part of what we do on both sides of the ball.” Cronin continued, “Anfernee is already one of the league’s top shooters and this past season he showed elite ability as a shot creator and distributor. We are excited for him to continue the growth he has shown in his first four seasons in Portland.”
Nurkic, 27, averaged 15.0 points (53.5% FG, 69.0% FT), a career-high 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.11 steals in 56 games (all starts) for the Trail Blazers during the 2021-22 season. One of eight NBA players to average at least 15 points and 11 rebounds last season, Nurkic led the Trail Blazers in rebounds and ranked second in points while his 30 double-doubles marked the second-most of any season during his career.
Originally acquired by the Trail Blazers in a trade from Denver on February 13, 2017, Nurkic (7-0, 285) has averaged 14.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.00 steal and 1.25 blocks in 272 games (271 starts) over five-plus seasons in Portland. The Trail Blazers have a record of 160-112 (.588) with Nurkic in the lineup over that span.
Selected by Chicago with the 16th overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, Nurkic holds career averages of 12.2 points (50.0% FG, 67.2% FT), 8.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.91 steals and 1.19 blocks in 411 games (330 starts) over eight seasons with the Trail Blazers and Nuggets.
Simons, 23, averaged career highs of 17.3 points (44.3% FG, 40.5% 3-PT, 88.8% FT), 2.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 57 games (30 starts) for the Trail Blazers during the 2021-22 season. His scoring average was a 9.5-point increase over his 2020-21 season average, representing the largest jump in the NBA for players who played a minimum of 50 games in both seasons. In his 27 appearances after becoming a full-time starter on January 3, Simons averaged 23.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists.
One of the most prolific young shooters in the NBA, Simons (6-3, 195) had 24 games with at least five three-pointers before turning 23, tied for the third-most in league history by a player age 22 or younger. In addition, Simons is the only player in NBA history with multiple games of nine or more three-pointers before turning 23 (three). Simons became the youngest player in franchise history to score 40-plus points in a game when he scored a career-high 43 points against Atlanta on January 3, 2022.
Selected by Portland with the 24th overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, Simons holds career averages of 10.2 points (42.5% FG, 39.2% 3-PT, 83.3% FT), 2.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 211 games (35 starts) for the Trail Blazers.
The Portland Trail Blazers yesterday waived Eric Bledsoe, it was announced today by General Manager Joe Cronin.
Bledsoe was originally acquired on Feb. 4, 2022, from the LA Clippers.
The Portland Trail Blazers yesterday acquired forward Jerami Grant and the draft rights to Ismael Kamagate in a trade with the Detroit Pistons for the draft rights to Gabriele Procida, a 2025 first-round draft pick (via Milwaukee), a 2025 second-round draft pick and a 2026 second-round draft pick.
“Jerami Grant is a dynamic two-way forward that can impact winning at a high level,” said Trail Blazers General Manager Joe Cronin. “He fits seamlessly into Coach Billups’ system on both sides of the ball. We could not be happier to have him in Portland.”
Grant, 28, averaged 19.2 points (42.6% FG, 35.8% 3-PT, 83.8% FT), 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.94 steals and 1.04 blocks in 47 games (all starts) for the Pistons during the 2021-22 season. A Gold Medalist with Team USA at the 2021 Olympics, Grant has made the NBA playoffs four times, posting averages of 10.5 points (45.6% FG, 34.1% 3-PT, 80.0% FT), 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 35 games (21 starts).
An eight-year NBA veteran, Grant (6-8, 210) holds career averages of 11.4 points (45.2% FG, 34.9% 3-PT, 72.3% FT), 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.63 steals and 1.11 blocks in 555 games (270 starts) with Detroit, Denver, Oklahoma City and Philadelphia. He was originally selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 39th overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft. Grant, a Portland native, is the son of 13-year NBA veteran Harvey Grant, who played three seasons for the Trail Blazers from 1993-1996.
The Portland Trail Blazers have signed guard Gary Payton II, it was announced today by General Manager Joe Cronin.
“We are excited to have Gary join us in Portland,” said Cronin. “Gary brings an elite defensive acumen and championship pedigree that will be essential to how we play basketball. His competitiveness and toughness will accent Coach Billups’ style of play.”
Payton’s deal with the Blazers is reportedly a three-year, $28 million contract.
A six-year NBA veteran out of Oregon State, Payton (6-3, 190) averaged 7.1 points (61.6% FG, 35.8% 3PT, 60.3% FT), 3.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.35 steals and 17.6 minutes in 71 games (16 starts) as a prominent contributor to the 2022 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors during the 2021-22 season. Payton posted career highs in points per game (7.1), rebounds (3.5), steals (1.35) and minutes (17.6) and led the team in steals per game and total steals.
Over the course of six seasons, Payton has garnered career averages of 5.2 points (54.2% FG, 32.0% 3PT, 57.1% FT), 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.04 steals and 14.5 minutes per game in 142 games (39 starts) for Golden State, Washington, Milwaukee and the L.A. Lakers.
The Portland Trail Blazers have signed rookie guard Shaedon Sharpe, it was announced today by General Manager Joe Cronin.
Sharpe, 19, was selected by Portland with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft. He joins the Trail Blazers from the University of Kentucky. A guard out of London, Ontario in Canada, Sharpe (6-6, 200) averaged 24.1 points and 6.0 rebounds during his final season at Dream City Christian Academy in Glendale, Arizona in 2020-21.
In 2019, Sharpe led Canada to a silver medal at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship, posting averages of 13.0 points (68.0% FG, 33.3% 3-PT, 60.0% FT), 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in six games.
Sharpe will make his professional debut for the Trail Blazers at the 2022 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.