According to Keith Smith of Spotrac, Brooklyn Nets big man Day’Ron Sharpe waived the no-trade clause in his contract, and because of that, he should be firmly on the Boston Celtics’ radar. With how many questions currently surround the Celtics’ center position, Sharpe should at least be on their trade target big board entering the season.
“Day'Ron Sharpe waived his implied no-trade clause in his new deal with the Brooklyn Nets, a league source told @spotrac,” Smith wrote on Twitter. “Sharpe was eligible for a NTC because his deal includes an option (team option in this case) on the second season.”
Boston may not be in the market to make big-swing trades this season, but Sharpe could be an intriguing flier for them to take a chance on.
How could Day’Ron Sharpe help Celtics?
Neemias Queta is going to get every opportunity to shine this season. He’s slated to enter next year as Boston’s starting center, and if he performs well, there might be no reason to trade for another big man.
The Portuguese center looked solid in EuroBasket, and if that’s any indication of his progression as a player, then the Celtics may be just fine at the five spot.
However, Queta is still unproven at the NBA level. If he struggles, it could be worth it for the Celtics to trade for a big. Even though they may not be competitive this season, adding a quality (and young) center like Sharpe could help them moving forward as well.
Last season, Sharpe appeared in 50 games for the Nets, playing 18.1 minutes per contest. He averaged 7.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while shooting 52.1% from the floor.
Sharpe is also one of the best offensive rebounders in basketball and has been since he entered the league. Through his first four NBA seasons, Sharpe has ranked in the 97th percentile or higher at his position in the percentage of his team’s missed field goals he has offensive rebounded. This past year, he snagged 15.4% of them, landing in the 98th percentile.
But the real reason Sharpe could be a potential Celtics trade target is his contract. He’s only going to make $6.3 million this year and next year, making him fairly easy to acquire in terms of matching salary.
And at just 23 years old, Sharpe is still in the early stages of his career. He has plenty of room to grow.
If Boston’s center rotation looks rough this season, Sharpe could be an interesting guy to target to help fill out the position moving forward.