The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to contract extensions for two of their rising young stars. Portland has locked up fourth-year guard Shaedon Sharpe on a four-year, $90 million extension and agreed to a four-year, $82 million deal for third-year forward Toumani Camara, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Without reaching a deal by the Oct. 20 deadline, Sharpe would have been slated to enter restricted free agency next summer. Now he’s under contract with Portland through the 2029-30 season. Camara, meanwhile, had a team option for the 2026-27 season, but is also now on a deal with the Blazers that will take him through the 2029-30 season.
Both Sharpe and Camara are vital pieces of Portland’s rebuild. Sharpe, 22, was the seventh pick in the 2022 draft by the Blazers despite not playing a game at Kentucky. He quickly showed his potential by averaging 9.9 points on 47.2% shooting as a rookie. By his third season, he emerged as a starter and averaged 18.5 points as part of Portland’s young, developing core.
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By reaching a deal, Sharpe avoided a restricted free agency situation next summer, something that went poorly for a number of players this offseason — primarily Jonathan Kuminga, who played the longest game of chicken with the Golden State Warriors before eventually ending his standoff by signing a two-year $45 million deal.
Sharpe’s new contract with Portland comes on the heels of the Sacramento Kings giving Keegan Murray — the No. 4 pick in the same draft — $140 million over five years. Sharpe’s been the far more productive player in terms of counting stats, but Murray’s been an integral piece on a playoff team already, something Sharpe has yet to prove yet.
Camara, 25, is the perfect example of a diamond in the rough, as he was taken with the 52nd pick in the 2023 draft by the Phoenix Suns and then traded to Portland before his rookie season started. In just two seasons, he’s developed into an everyday starter and last season earned All-Defensive Second Team honors. He’s the ideal 3-and-D piece capable of defending both forward positions, and is a reliable 3-point threat, making 37.5% of his shots from beyond the arc last season. He also ranked ninth in total steals, too.
Signing Camara to a team-friendly extension is great news for Portland. Given how well he played last season, Camara will certainly outplay the $20.5 million a year he’ll be making on this new deal. It’s a win for a Blazers team that could be a sneaky play-in squad if guys like Camara, Sharpe and Deni Avdija continue to develop.
