Shaedon Sharpe will miss rest of NBA Summer League after injury in Blazers’ opening game

Shaedon Sharpe will miss the remainder of the Portland Trail Blazers’ NBA Summer League schedule after injuring his left shoulder during the team’s opening game on Thursday.

Sharpe’s long-awaited return to the basketball court lasted only a few minutes before the former University of Kentucky recruit was sidelined that night in Las Vegas. The team announced Saturday that Sharpe has a small labral tear and will be reevaluated in 10-14 days.

Sharpe departed with the injury five minutes and 33 seconds into his first game since playing in the Nike EYBL’s Peach Jam in August of 2021.

Sharpe enrolled at Kentucky last December with the intention of training with the Wildcats during the second semester of last season. The original plan was then for Sharpe to play for UK in the 2022-23 season. However, that scenario never unfolded the way UK hoped after the 6-foot-6 guard from Canada learned he was eligible for the NBA Draft and his stock quickly began to rise.

The Trail Blazers selected him with the No. 7 pick on June 23.

Sharpe started the game Thursday night and made one basket, missed two three-point attempts and committed a turnover during his brief debut.

A player selected two picks ahead of Sharpe, Purdue’s Jaden Ivey, made his summer league debut for Detroit and finished with 20 points, six rebounds and six assists in the Pistons’ 81-78 win over Portland.