The Most Important Reserve on the Blazers Next Season

Ja Morant and Damian Lillard are expected to be the starting guards for the Portland Trail Blazers, leaving Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe as members of the team's second unit.

Out of the three, Sharpe has the potential to be the biggest scorer, making him the most important reserve for the team next season.

Year	Points Per Game
2022-23	9.9
2023-24	15.9
2024-25	18.5
2025-26	20.8

Shaedon Sharpe Can Be Sixth Man of the Year

Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe walks off the court before playing against the San Antonio Spurs | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Not many players who averaged over 20 points per game last season are coming off the bench in 2026-27, but Sharpe is an exception. The team is integrating Lillard back into the fold after recovering from his torn Achilles and trading for Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.

Sharpe struggled with injuries towards the end of last season, which limited him during the team's playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs. He naturally came off the bench for Henderson, which ultimately led to seeing what life would look like with him coming off the bench.

Sharpe is a better player when he starts, averaging 21.9 points per game last season compared to 15.4 when he came off the bench. He also had that with more minutes in the starting lineup compared to a reserve. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Sharpe is someone the Blazers will have to rely on this season.

"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," an anonymous scout told The Oregonian's Joe Freeman.

"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.”

The introduction of Lillard and Morant to the court will force everybody to pivot, especially Sharpe. It won't be an easy transition, but the Blazers might need it to happen in order for everyone to succeed. Sharpe might have the most difficult challenge out of the players to go from the first to second unit, but he already has his long-term deal signed.

He's making $90 million over the next four seasons, so he doesn't need to worry about losing money. He just needs to focus on doing whatever he can to help his team. For this season, it might be coming off the bench, but if he plays well enough, he will likely find himself back in the starting lineup once Lillard leaves the team and retires in the coming years.

Add us as a preferred source on Google