NBA

Shaedon Sharpe NBA Draft preview: Worth the risk as a top-five pick?

Joe Lyons Sports Editor

Updated2 hours ago on April 19, 2024

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Shaedon Sharpe NBA Draft Odds

Position	Shooting Guard
School	Kentucky
Height	6’5″
Projected Draft Number	#6 – Indiana Pacers
Drafted Under #8 Odds	-140 with BetOnline
Drafted Over #8 Odds	+100 with BetOnline

Who is Shaedon Sharpe?

Shaedon Sharpe is undoubtedly one of the NBA Draft’s biggest mysteries – from a consensus five-star recruit at Dream City Christian High School in Glendale, Arizona, to being seen as a high risk pick in this year’s draft.

After committing to play college basketball for the University of Kentucky, Sharpe entered his freshman year with the intention of sitting out for the 2021/22 season and extending his eligibility within the NCAA system with the goal of suiting up every week in the 2022/23 season.

However, the 19-year-old declared for the 2022 NBA Draft in February and therefore Sharpe was no longer eligible to participate in NCAA activities after not playing a single game for one of the most elite basketball programs in the country.

In his senior year of high school, Sharpe averaged 21.4 points and six rebounds per game, where he became the team’s number one option and drew close attention from top schools over the country such as Arizona, Kansas, Oklahoma State – and even an offer from the NBA G League, which would’ve seen him follow in the footsteps of Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green.

One of the biggest factors for NBA teams when deciding which player to draft is how they performed in college, which is a grey area in the Canadian’s game. Most teams have held pre-draft workouts with Sharpe and have been training with the player for months now, so they have a good idea of what he’s about – but not in a high-intensity competitive setting.

The talent is there, no question, and Sharpe has the ability to become a number one option on a contending NBA team with the right setup and situation. There are always risks involved with every draft pick – take the number one pick in 2017 for example, Markelle Fultz who was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Fultz was the consensus top pick and many expected the guard to be the brand new, shiny face of the NBA. Despite this, Fultz never lived up to the expectations set by the basketball world, and was later traded to the Orlando Magic in what will go down as one of the biggest ‘what if?’s in league history.

The Sixers had current Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum right there and available to select, who is now a three-time NBA All Star, All-NBA First Team member, and Eastern Conference Finals MVP – you get the picture. No matter how certain a draft prospect might look to be successful in the NBA, you never truly find out until the player steps on an NBA court for the first time.

Sharpe has everything in his locker to become a star in this league – freakishly athletic, can shoot the lights out, and he’s a two-way player which is becoming one of the most valuable traits in today’s game after seeing how Boston guard Jaylen Brown rose to stardom during the playoffs.

How to Bet On Shaedon Sharpe’s Draft Position

With BetOnline, Sharpe is currently -140 to be drafted before the 8th pick, and +100 to be drafted after the 8th pick. This means the 19-year-old is much more likely to be drafted one-through-seven, than be selected from nine onwards.

The top three is almost at a consensus amongst NBA fans and analysts ahead of the draft. Jabari Smith is expected to be selected by the Orlando Magic, with Chet Holmgren heading to the Oklahoma City Thunder at number two, and Duke’s Paolo Banchero teaming up with the young backcourt of Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr in Houston.

Jaden Ivey from Purdue is likely to be the 4th pick, which is owned by the Sacramento Kings. However, with De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell already existing on the Kings’ roster, keep an eye out for draft-day trades which could see Sacramento trade down to pick either a forward or a big instead.

From five onwards is where it gets debatable. Keegan Murray, a 6’8″ sophomore forward from Iowa looks to be headed to the Detroit Pistons to join last year’s number one pick Cade Cunningham. Despite this, it could also be seen as a toss-up between Murray, Sharpe, and Benn Mathurin for the Pistons’ pick.

With all the talent that Sharpe possesses, we don’t see a scenario in which he falls as far as the 9th pick – from what we’ve seen so far in high school, the shooting guard is worth the risk to take in drafting inside the top six. Whilst we know one, two, or three is extremely far-fetched for Sharpe, there are arguments to be made from the 4th pick.

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