Kentucky’s Shaedon Sharpe injured in return to court at NBA Summer League

Shaedon Sharpe’s long-awaited return to the basketball court lasted only a few minutes before the former University of Kentucky recruit was injured Thursday night in Las Vegas.

Sharpe, making his debut in the NBA Summer League with the Portland Trail Blazers, departed with a shoulder 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.

“I’m not even sure on the diagnosis of what the injury is right now,” Blazers summer league coach Steve Hetzel told the Oregonian afterward. “I just know that he was held out as a precaution.”

The newspaper also reported that the team wanted Sharpe to undergo testing on the shoulder before returning to action, even though the player said he was feeling good at halftime.

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.

Washington makes debut

TyTy Washington, a freshman from Kentucky who was drafted No. 29 in the first round by Houston, also made his NBA Summer League debut on Thursday night.

Washington came off the bench but played 28 minutes in the Rockets’ 91-77 loss to Orlando. The 6-foot-3 guard scored seven points on 2-of-6 shooting from the field, making one of three three-point attempts and both of his free throws. Washington also contributed four rebounds, three assists and a block and committed one turnover.

Houston’s two other 2022 first-round draft picks, Jabari Smith from Auburn and Tari Eason from LSU, started for the Rockets. Smith finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes. Eason had 14 points and 13 rebounds in 25 minutes.

Paolo Banchero from Duke, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, led Orlando with 17 points. He also had six assists and four rebounds.