Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe, who has missed the past two games due to what the team was referring to as adductor soreness, underwent an MRI and has been diagnosed with a lower abdominal strain, according to a press release.
Sharpe will be reevaluated in two weeks, per the club, so he won’t be back on the court until the very end of the month or sometime in February, at the earliest.
The seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft, Sharpe is averaging career highs in points (15.9), rebounds (5.0) and assists (2.9) per game in 2023-24. However, that’s largely a byproduct of his increased role.
After coming off the bench in 65 of his 80 games as a rookie and averaging 22.2 minutes per night, Sharpe has started 25 of 32 contests so far in 2023-24 and has seen his playing time increase to 33.1 MPG for the retooling Blazers. The 20-year-old’s usage rate has risen to 22.2%, but his shooting percentages (.406 FG%, .333 3PT%) are well below the marks he posted as a rookie.
Despite his dip in scoring efficiency, Sharpe is considered a cornerstone piece in Portland and is one of the few players on the roster who looks like a lock to stay put at this season’s trade deadline.
The 10-29 Blazers, who are nine games out of a play-in spot and who have been outscored by 203 points in their past eight contests, will likely consider a wide range of trade scenarios in the coming weeks as they look to continue building a roster capable of contending within a few seasons.
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