SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – DECEMBER 02: Shaedon Sharpe #17 of the Portland Trail Blazers dunks over Walker Kessler #24 of the Utah Jazz during the second half of a game at Delta Center on December 02, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
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Sunday, two days before the 2025-26 NBA campaign tips off, the Portland Trail Blazers reached extensions with Toumani Camara and Shaedon Sharpe, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The deal with Camara is a four-year, $82 million extension. Portland’s agreement with Sharpe is worth $90 million over four years. That’s a combined total of $172 million.
While it’s an expensive Sunday for the Trail Blazers, both of these are sound investments. A second-round selection of the Phoenix Suns in 2023, before ever playing a game for them, Camara got rerouted to the Pacific Northwest. That was a product of the three-team trade that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.
In Portland, he has blossomed into a defensive stud. Last season, the six-foot-seven wing swiped 1.5 steals per contest. His 116 total thefts ranked in the top 10. He also swatted 50 shots, becoming one of seven players with at least 100 steals and 50 blocks in a season.
Camara helped the Trail Blazers rank in the top 10 in fewest points allowed after the All-Star break, and earned a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team.
His disruptive defense and bulldog-like approach at that end of the floor make it easy for some to lose sight of his all-around impact. He averaged 11.3 points in the 2024-25 campaign. A significant development in determining the 25-year-old’s ceiling is that he knocked down 37.5 percent of the 4.6 threes he hoisted.
Camara also snagged 5.8 rebounds per game, including 2.2 at the offensive end of the court. Beyond that, he dished out 2.2 assists per tilt, a fine number for someone in his role and the amount of time the ball is in his hands.
Entering his third year in the NBA, the Belgian native has thrived in Portland’s infrastructure. Now, he is in a position to continue growing his game in that environment for the long term.
Shaedon Sharpe’s ascent
Sharpe looked the part of an Iron Man as a rookie, appearing in 80 games. However, due to a core muscle injury, he appeared in only 32 tilts in his sophomore season. Fortunately, he was healthy in 2024-25, paving the way for a career year.
The former seventh overall selection generated 18.5 points per contest. Not only did the high-flying former Kentucky Wildcat show off his ability to finish above the rim, but more importantly, the talent to get to the basket consistently.
He also averaged 2.8 assists, making strides as a facilitator. Ideally, Sharpe improves from behind the arc. He converted on only 31.1 percent of his three-point attempts last season. However, his willingness to launch 6.6 per game and remain undeterred was a positive. Those misses also didn’t take away from his ability to attack downhill.
At 22 and still in the infancy stages of his development, given the combination of what he has already displayed and his upside, extending Sharpe was a wise move by the Trail Blazers.
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