The Brooklyn Nets entered a rebuild this offseason when they traded Mikal Bridges. They hoped to build a winner around the wing, but it did not work. Now, Brooklyn is resetting and has several interesting veterans who could help contenders before the deadline. There are already Dorian Finney-Smith rumors and Cam Johnson, Dennis Schroder, and Bojan Bogdanovic will be mentioned.
Sean Marks and the Nets have plenty to figure out. Cam Thomas, Ziaire Williams, and Day’Ron Sharpe are all extension-eligible entering the final year of their rookie contracts. Does the franchise sign them long-term or let them hit restricted free agency in the summer of 2025? Fans hope Thomas can become a building block, but one player is not enough.
The Nets re-signed Nicolas Claxton to a four-year $97 million contract this offseason. The 25-year-old appears locked in as their center of the present and future, but where does that leave Sharpe? The 2021 first-round pick certainly wants a raise. Brooklyn cannot afford to pay significantly for two centers. Who is their long-term piece and does that mean moving on from the other?
Nets face crucial decision in extending Day’Ron Sharpe
Sharpe averaged 6.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.7 blocks in 15.1 minutes per game in his third NBA season. He was a reserve behind Claxton but showed plenty of promise. Sharpe produced a 0.152 win shares per 48 minutes, which ranked 38th in the NBA. The 22-year-old is ready for a larger role, but it is not available in Brooklyn.
The Nets cannot play the duo together. 93.3 percent of Claxton’s shot came within ten feet of the hoop and Sharpe took 93.2. The two-big-man look only works in the modern NBA if one player can space the floor. Both are inside finishers and do not provide enough space to play together.
Claxton is on a descending contract that will be a bargain for the Nets in a few years, but there are only 48 minutes at center to hand out. If the 25-year-old is going to play 30 every night, that leaves just an 18-minute bench role for Sharpe. Even paying $10 million per season seems like an overpay for the limited role he will fill.
The Brooklyn Nets have a decision to make. Is Nicolas Claxton or Day’Ron Sharpe their long-term answer at center? Does Claxton want to stay for a multi-year rebuild? If they choose Claxton, the Nets should look to trade Sharpe before the deadline. There will certainly be interested teams around the league.
The Nets could keep both, but it means spending significantly at the five. That is a situation a rebuilding team should avoid for non-star players. Brooklyn must build a contender, which means maximizing the value of each asset. Letting Sharpe sit behind Claxton is not achieving that goal.
Every decision should be forward-looking. The franchise needs to develop talent this season and pray they get the number one overall pick. Cooper Flagg looks like a franchise-changer and would be a fantastic Net.
The front office has work to do. They will keep fielding calls on their veterans and must choose their center of the future. The Claxton extension makes the decision easier, but it means the Nets should trade Sharpe to get something in return for the talented big man. Stay tuned to see if it happens.