Portland's backcourt plans took a significant hit this week. ONE reports, citing ESPN sources, that Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe has torn the meniscus in his right knee and is expected to be sidelined for roughly six months.
The injury was sustained during an offseason workout. Sharpe, 23, is set to undergo surgery this week, with a return targeted for late February or early March 2027 if his recovery goes to plan — meaning he would miss the bulk of the 2026-27 NBA season.
It is a cruel repeat for the Kentucky product, who was drafted seventh overall by Portland in 2022. Last season he averaged 20.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game before a stress fracture in his left fibula cut his campaign short.
Sharpe had signed a four-year, $90 million extension with the Blazers that was set to officially kick in this coming season, underlining how central he had become to the franchise's backcourt plans alongside veterans Ja Morant, Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday.
The absence carries a direct Israeli angle. Sharpe's Portland teammate is forward Deni Avdija, who will now be expected to carry an even heavier offensive burden as the Blazers navigate the opening months of the season without one of their top scorers.
Avdija enjoyed a career year in 2025-26, his first full season in Portland after arriving from Washington, averaging 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists across 66 games — numbers that already made him a focal point of the offense even before Sharpe's injury.
With Sharpe out for an extended stretch, Portland's coaching staff will lean further on Avdija's playmaking and scoring as the Blazers try to stay competitive in a crowded Western Conference while their young guard works his way back from surgery.
