Knicks Could Target Two Bigs From Nets in Trade

The Brooklyn Nets must be dreaming big during this current New York Knicks tailspin, where they have lost nine of eleven. While they don’t own the Knicks' first-round pick this summer, they possess their crosstown rivals' unprotected firsts in 2027, 2029 and 2031 and an unprotected swap in 2028 thanks to the Mikal Bridges trade.

When it’s all said and done, that trade might go down as one of the bigger overpays in recent times and worst in franchise history. It’s hard to see Leon Rose doing business with Brooklyn's general manager Sean Marks again anytime soon.

However, Zach Lowe of The Ringer mentioned Brooklyn's Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams when discussing potential trade targets for the Knicks in a package that would involve Guerschon Yabusele, Pacôme Dadiet and draft compensation.

"Someone threw out Day'ron Sharpe,” Lowe said on his self-titled podcast. “I think Day'Ron Sharpe's been better than that trade package. Ziaire Williams was thrown out to me. I could see that."

Could The Knicks Swing A Trade For Either Sharpe Or Williams?

The Knicks could use reinforcements up front as Yabusele, who was the team's big free agent signing, has been a disappointment and is on the trade block. Mitchell Robinson has a long injury history and has missed time due to injury management. Meanwhile, the Knicks have one of the worst defenses in the league over the last few weeks and are in the market for a defensive-minded wing.

The 24-year-old Sharpe receives inconsistent playing time, despite how talented of a center he really is. His motor and nose for offensive boards, coupled with his ability on defense, make him a paint presence in the paint on both sides of the floor. His playmaking has also improved drastically, especially from the low post.

Sharpe, who was drafted 29th overall in 2021, has consistently shown the ability to rack up stats and rebounds even though he's never averaged more than 18.1 minutes in a season. His career per 36-minute averages are 16.1 points and 12.1 rebounds. Earlier this month, Michael Porter Jr said the generously listed 6-foot-10 big man is more than just a backup.

"Day Day's a beast. He's a starting five in the NBA,” Porter told reporters. “But we have two starting fives, [Nic Claxton] and him."

In A Limited Role, Sharpe Has Shown He Can Offer More

If the right trade offer for Claxton comes along, Sharpe getting that chance in Brooklyn seems very possible. He has a team option for $6.3 million next year, which Brooklyn can decline and offer him four years, $60 million, for example. Multiple teams have called during trade season on the UNC product, most notably the Boston Celtics. He is averaging eight points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 38 games in three starts.

Before Brooklyn added their current cast of rookies, the Nets kicked off their current rebuild by signing low-risk, former highly rated players like Williams. The fellow 24-year-old was acquired in a trade that was an outgrowth of Bridges' deal, with the team re-routing Mamadi Diakite, who had an expiring partially guaranteed deal, for Williams and a 2030 Dallas Mavericks second-round pick.

Despite being drafted 10th overall by Memphis in 2021, the 6-foot-9 wing was salary dumped and is looking like a win for Brooklyn’s developmental program. He started 45 of 63 games last season for Jordi Fernandez, averaging 10 points and 4.6 rebounds in 24.5 minutes. In October, Williams recorded a career-high-tying six three-pointers on his way to 25 points - his second-most in any game of his five-year career.