Could Day’Ron Sharpe be headed to a new team before Thursday?
Reserve big men are always a valuable asset, especially when they’re young, and Day’Ron Sharpe could catch the eye of several teams. When the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers worked out their D’Angelo Russell for Dorian Finney-Smith deal, it took less than six hours to finalize the trade.
Clutch Points reports that Sean Marks and Rob Pelinka had considered adding Sharpe and draft assets to the deal, but in the end, they couldn’t reach an agreement. As a result, Shake Milton was traded to the Lakers, while three second-round picks and Maxwell Lewis went to Brooklyn.
Could the Lakers or other teams—such as the Golden State Warriors, who have also expressed interest in the 6’10”, 23-year-old—reach out to the Nets about Sharpe before Thursday’s deadline? With Cam Johnson’s availability uncertain due to the Nets’ high asking price, Sharpe might be the player most likely to find success elsewhere.
In an article on Saturday, Brian Lewis quoted Sharpe saying he’s not focusing too much on the trade rumors. “I don’t tend to think about it,” Sharpe told The Post. “I just go out there and play hard, you know? Whatever comes, comes with it, God willing. So it is what it is.”
At present, Sharpe’s trade value is high. After missing the first six weeks of the season due to a hamstring injury, the North Carolina product has been playing his best basketball since the New Year. As Lewis wrote, Sharpe has averaged 8.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and shot 54.3% in the 12 games since, starting with a 16-point, 13-rebound performance against Indiana on January 6.
“I feel a lot better since New Year’s started,” Sharpe told Lewis. “I feel like December had to get little kinks out with my body and stuff like that. But I feel a lot better now. I’m just trying to keep that, maintain that … So, staying focused.”
Reports indicate that the Lakers’ management likes Sharpe, and Anthony Davis has urged Pelinka to find a backup so he can return to his natural NBA position at the 4, rather than playing at the 5. Speculation suggests that Davis and others may prefer a veteran—such as Washington’s Jonas Valančiūnas—over Sharpe. According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, the 32-year-old Valančiūnas is a “known favorite in important pockets of the Lakers locker room.”
What would the Nets expect in return for Sharpe? No one is revealing that information publicly. Sharpe was a late first-round pick (29th overall) in the 2021 draft, but as a restricted free agent, he could end up as a rental, and he has been dealing with injuries.
The Lakers don’t have much time if they hope to make a significant move, as they are currently the fifth seed in the tightly competitive Western Conference.
