Sharpe Divide Over What Nets Center Will Find In Free Agency

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For any pro athlete, the market is the highest offer he receives from a team. Sometimes, such value doesn’t gibe with the consensus logic. Too bad, because that’s how our system works.

With that in mind, I don’t have the foggiest notion as to what will be put in front of ascending Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe, who put up monster numbers in his first start of the season during Wednesday night’s 129-121 defeat to Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City, when he hits restricted free agency in July. For those who assume a full nontaxpayer mid-level contract, estimated to be around $14 million in Year 1, will assuredly be coming his way…be careful.

The enthusiasm over Sharpe is somewhat justified, as his work ethic, particularly on the offensive glass, has borne a bit of fruit over the last few months after a less-than-stellar first three seasons on the job. He is far and away the team’s leader in net rating (minimum 20 total minutes played) this season and ranks second in the league in offensive rebounding percentage among those who have played at least 30 games. Overall, Sharpe looks stronger, quicker, and in better shape. It is absolutely admirable.

Stepping up for the suspended Nic Claxton, Sharpe went toe-to-toe in matching the physicality of the Thunder, the NBA’s top defensive team, on Wednesday. He filled the stat sheet with 25 points on 8-for-10 shooting, including 2-of-3 three-pointers, and recorded 15 rebounds (7 offensive), 5 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals.

After the game, Sharpe gave credit to Brooklyn’s Performance Team for helping him with the flexibility needed to be an anchor in an NBA defense. I recall him once saying that he never played drop pick-and-roll coverage before; in Head Coach Jordi Fernandez’s defense, Sharpe now seems to understand the nuances of drop, blitz, ice, hedge at the level, and straight switches.

And there may be room for Sharpe, who won’t even turn 24 until November, to grow, particularly with his perimeter shooting. He already sets excellent screens and can pass out of the pocket, so adding a pick-and-pop to his arsenal (he’s 6-for-his-last-8 from deep, but that’s over a 17-game span) will only make him more dangerous as a roller and rim crasher.

Still, interested teams will consider his limitations. He’s a bit undersized for the position at 6-foot 9, which often leads to foul problems—among the 335 players in the league who suited up for at least 30 games this season, Sharpe owns the 13^th-highest foul rate per 36 minutes. He’s also 28^th in turnovers per 36 minutes, mitigating the positive results from his playmaking.

The Nets’ final 24 games will be crucial for Sharpe to showcase more of his long-range stroke, which at least will meet the approval of Fernandez—Brooklyn set a franchise record with 61 hoists from behind the arc on Wednesday following a Fernandez threat. If Sharpe knocks down 3s at a league-average efficiency (around 36%) on a significantly higher volume down the stretch, then maybe we can start talking about Sharpe and a full-midlevel as a certainty.

Because folks, the league is only beginning to adjust to the vagaries of the most recent collective bargaining agreement, with all its thresholds and aprons. This offseason, the Nets are the only team projected (at the moment) to have any salary cap space to sign free agents outright. The midlevel could be as high as any other team can go. Will any of them want to use it all on one backup player?

Since Sharpe will be restricted, the Nets can match any offer, with the offering team forced to act as if Sharpe is signed for the two days and potentially missing out on alternatives while Brooklyn decides his fate. Some teams may not want to waste the energy on what could easily be a lost cause.

History tells us that it is very likely that the Nets would match an offer sheet, though that comes with concerns as well. Sharpe will carry a nearly $12 million cap hold into the new league year. So, about that $90 million or so you may have heard with regard to Brooklyn’s projected cap space this summer, it can only get to that kind of level if the team renounces all of its free agents, including Sharpe, Cam Thomas, D’Angelo Russell, and Ziaire Williams.

That means the Nets, who have already committed about $69.5 million to Claxton for the next three seasons (at least on a declining scale), will have to give some serious thought as to whether they should be carrying an expensive backup. Remember, General Manager Sean Marks has a high hit rate when picking centers in the Draft…and he’s slated to have a ton of swings in the next few years. If somehow Duke’s Khaman Maluach falls into the Nets’ lap after a little lottery luck and make about $6-7.5 million in Year 1, where would Sharpe fit? In the new CBA, when teams are counting pennies to stay under aprons, contributing players on rookie contracts carry greater value than they used to.

Looking at the list of 2025-26 cap hits for centers, there are some standout abominations (Chicago’s Zach Collins makes what?). Does Sharpe deserve a full mid-level contract that would be in line with Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart, Atlanta’s Onyeka Okongwu, or Dallas’ Daniel Gafford?

He does if some team gives him that offer. My gut tells me that Marks won’t let it get that far. Using cap space, he’s going to have a deal in excess of the midlevel waiting for Sharpe prior to the new league year like he did for Claxton and Joe Harris. Marks will then line up the contracts so as to maximize the cap space needed for other moves. You don’t have to like it, but hey, if the contract turns sour, we have learned that Marks can always trade him.