For a player who does not start, does not shoot threes consistently, and does not dominate the stat sheet to leave your jaw dropped, Day’Ron Sharpe is about to make life very complicated for the Brooklyn Nets.
Sharpe just wrapped up his best season in the NBA averaging 7.9 points and 6.6 rebounds while playing around 20 minutes per game. Those types of numbers do not win headlines, but it is crucial to note that his impact goes way beyond stats. He plays with energy, crashes the boards hard, defends in space, and does the dirty work that winning teams need. To put it into perspective, just think of him as the guy who is diving for loose balls while everyone else is jogging back on defense.
At just 23 years old, Sharpe’s motor is undeniable, and so is his growth. Already in a year’s time he is much stronger, smarter, and controlled than he was a year ago. You can see it in how he handles mismatches and how he rotates on defense even when having to defend a different position. And most importantly, you can see how much trust he has earned from the coaching staff. Jordi Fernández gave him good playing time this past regular season, and Sharpe made the most of them.
Here is the problem: the league noticed.
Sharpe is now a restricted free agent, and there are teams out there like the Los Angeles Lakers who desperately need a center and who could see him as a valuable rotation piece. Bigs who can defend, rebound, and stay within their role are worth their weight in gold, especially at a reasonable price. With someone like Steven Adams making $13 million per year as a comparison, Sharpe’s next deal could creep into territory that is a lot more then first anticipated.
That puts pressure on the Nets. Now they need to think, should they match a deal like that to keep their backup center? Especially with Nic Claxton likely being dealt in a trade? Or do they let Sharpe walk and risk starting over in the frontcourt?
Letting him go would be risky. For a team in the early stages of a rebuild, finding a young big who knows the system, and is still getting better each day, is not something you walk away from easily. The headache is going to be real. But it is also a sign that Sharpe has arrived. If the Nets are serious about building smart, paying Day’Ron Sharpe should be something they should shy away from.