The Los Angeles Lakers made a starting center spot top priority this past offseason. They did accomplish that with Walker Kessler, however, there is a speculated search for a backup.
According to Lake Show Life’s Collin Keane Day’Ron Sharpe is an intriguing option and quite frankly a possible one as well. The Brooklyn Nets are not in a trade hesitation phase once the return is adequate.
“Sharpe’s been logging bigger minutes than usual with the Nets this year due to Brooklyn dealing with some injuries,” Keane wrote. “It remains to be seen whether that situation would have the Nets feeling hesitant to move Sharpe at the deadline. There’s also the fact that he’s a really nice young player on a good contract ($10 million this year) … so why move him, generally speaking?
“Even so, the Nets are certainly in rebuild mode. Sharpe promises to be available at the right price, which could mean the Lakers would need to give up a non-Vanderbilt player on their roster whom they’d prefer to keep.”
Sharpe, 25, has an age advantage and has seen a rise in performance in the past couple of seasons with the Nets.
Lakers’ Potential Trade Target Could Be Available for the Right Price
The right price will most likely cost the Lakers a piece in their current roster. They already waived Dalton Knecht before the season opener meaning he is no longer an option. Jarred Vanderbilt seems like a piece for a much more valuable addition, not a bench piece.
The likes of Bronny James and Jaden Hardy are two options that can be used in a trade. They are on cheap deals and the Lakers may also throw in some future second-round pick to sweeten the deal. Sharpe is now a starting piece as he has started all 10 of the games for Brooklyn so far this season — his highest starts in a season.
The Nets are not expected to compete for a playoff spot which makes the hunt for flexibility even more important to the franchise. Sharpe is one of those players who can do that.
Sharpe is not an expensive piece to keep on the roster, however, should the Lakers move two pieces, they may need another addition to meet roster required limits by the league. That position then could be a tricky one.
Sharpe’s Qualities Could Prove Useful
Sharpe is a top rebounder. He is putting up a career-high 7.1 rebounds so far this season. His minutes have no doubt jumped, but even last season, he started only seven games overall in 62 appearances and he had 6.6 rebounds per game.
Sharpe is a similar age to Kessler which means that the Lakers will be going for youth if they trade for the Nets center. He is athletic and while not a stretch big, he can provide screening and rim protection.
The Lakers added veteran center and three-time NBA champion Kevon as the backup. However, with the noise around getting a new backup big, his place is likely in the deeper secondary rotation. Sharpe could slide in as the main rotation player and it puts him in the right situation.
Lakers Get Good Trade News On $20M Center Target as Deal Becomes Realistic