Nets’ Day’Ron Sharpe reveals free agent desires after career season

Despite battling injuries throughout the year, Sharpe made wholesale improvements in his second season as a full-time member of the Nets’ rotation.

Offensively, the 23-year-old flashed potential as a dribble handoff and short-roll playmaker within Jordi Fernandez’s scheme. He shot 75.7 percent from the free-throw line and began expanding his range beyond the three-point arc, converting 11-of-45 attempts (24.4 percent).

Sharpe’s top offensive skill remains his rebounding. He continued to dominate on the boards, posting a 17.8 offensive rebound percentage. That was the second-highest in the NBA among players to play at least 600 minutes, trailing only Steven Adams.

Defensively, Sharpe showcased improved mobility in Brooklyn’s aggressive pick-and-roll coverage. He was effective while hedging onto ball-handlers, recovering to rollers and holding up on some switches. Opponents scored 6.7 fewer points per 100 possessions with Sharpe on the floor, the NBA’s sixth-best mark among centers to play over 600 minutes, per CleaningTheGlass.

Day’Ron Sharpe hopes career year will end with return to Nets

Sharpe’s two-way improvement translated to team success. The Nets outscored opponents by 13.3 points per 100 possessions during his minutes, the NBA’s eighth-best mark among players to play at least 600 minutes.

That number raised questions about whether the former first-round pick could challenge Nic Claxton for Brooklyn’s starting center job. However, should he return, Sharpe isn’t concerned about whether he starts or comes off the bench.

“I don’t really look at starting and the bench type of thing. I just look at the minutes,” he said. “If I have to play 18 [minutes] , I have to play 18. If I have to play 14, I have to play 14. If I have to play 30, I have to play 30. You know, it’s whatever I can get. I always just look at it as, there’s people who want to be in my position every day that hoop. Some guys don’t even play, and I used to be in a position where I didn’t play at all. So, I just take whatever minutes I can get. I’m just grateful.”

The Nets will have an exclusive negotiating period to work out an extension with Sharpe, starting on the first day after the NBA Finals and ending when free agency begins on June 30. If the two sides cannot reach a deal, Brooklyn is expected to extend the center his $5.98 million qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent.

The Nets will have no shortage of leverage in negotiations with Shapre. They are the NBA’s only team with significant cap space. Opposing teams seeking to sign the big man to an offer sheet will be limited to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1 million).

“This summer, we have a few of those decisions to make. Cam [Thomas] and Day’Ron, two guys that we drafted ourselves, as well as other free agents,” said general manager Sean Marks. “Both of those guys have shown tremendous development over the years. You saw Cam take on a little bit of a different role this year in several games. He became more of a playmaker out there, which is great. I know he’s frustrated with not playing as many games as he did this year.