Shaedon Sharpe Received Promise Before Spurs' No. 9 Pick in NBA Draft?

Sharpe canceled a workout with the Pelicans and one NBA insider has heard there's a possible reason for it to monitor. How could that impact the Spurs?

The San Antonio Spurs will be selecting at No. 9 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft barring any trade activity before they're on the clock. There will be no shortage of potential possibilities. Among them is Shaedon Sharpe. 

One of the more polarizing prospects in this year's class to keep an eye on is Shaedon Sharpe. He declared for the NBA Draft instead of staying to play at Kentucky after reclassifying during his senior year of high school. It's been over a year since he's played competitively.

According to Yahoo Sports NBA Insider Chris Haynes on the "Posted Up with Chris Haynes" podcast, Sharpe canceled a workout with the Pelicans (No. 8 pick) and there's speculation it could be due to receiving a promise. 

“He worked out for the Trail Blazers (and the Pacers) and I believe he was supposed to work out for the Pelicans, but that workout was canceled. There’s people that believe he might have gotten a promise.”

There's been extensive reporting about the Trail Blazers' plans to trade the No. 7 overall pick with names like OG Anunoby, John Collins, and Jerami Grant being among reported possible targets. If Portland were to get a deal done, the trade partner receiving the No. 7 pick could change the general landscape of the draft. However, none of that matters if the Indiana Pacers take him at No. 6 if they miss out on Jaden Ivey or Keegan Murray.

Sharpe should be an intriguing option for a team seeking a high-potential prospect. He sees himself as a feature scorer who creates play for teammates and competes on defense. It just could be challenging for some more conservative teams to take a chance on a player who hasn't played competitively for so long. 

Sharpe participated in a 1-on-1 workout with the Spurs and he explained in his pre-draft media availability that it went 'really good.' If he were to be selected, he sees his skill-set being a strong fit.

"If I play with them and end up in San Antonio, I think it will be a good team," Sharpe said. "I feel like I can really help them by scoring the ball and playing defense."

There hasn't been reporting describing Sharpe as a priority for the Spurs. Some see San Antonio prioritizing a traditional center like Jalen Duren or Mark Williams. Others see Jeramy Sochan or a trade-up targeting Keegan Murray as potential priorities. If Sharpe does go before No. 9, it could ensure one of the prospects linked to San Antonio is still available.

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You can follow Grant Afseth on Twitter at @GrantAfseth

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