PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — After getting involved in trade talks with multiple teams, the Portland Trail Blazers elected to keep their first-round pick to draft a former prep phenom.
The Blazers drafted 6-foot-6 shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe with the #7 overall pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft. The 19-year-old was considered the top high school prospect of the 2022 class by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports.
Sharpe, a native Canadian, reclassified and enrolled at the University of Kentucky in the middle of last season. However, he redshirted and did not appear in a game.
Before his time at Kentucky, Sharpe had a standout junior season at Dream City Christian Academy in Glendale, Ariz., averaging over 24 points and six rebounds per game. He also represented Canada at the 2019 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Brazi. He helped the team win a silver medal, averaging 13 points, 3.7 boards and 2.3 assists per game.