Nets players like Day'Ron Sharpe spark Celtics interest. Could a blockbuster trade brew between these rivals as the deadline approaches?
The Brooklyn Nets' front office should be prepared to make and field plenty of phone calls leading up to the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
With Michael Porter Jr., Nic Claxton, Day'Ron Sharpe and plenty of other notable contributors expected to field interest on the trade market, Brooklyn could be conducting a few important deals in the coming weeks, and an in-conference powerhouse might be one of their future trade partners.
According to a recent report from HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, several key Nets role players have been tabbed as potentially valuable pieces for an unexpectedly resilient Boston Celtics group.
"Should Boston decide to trade Simons and duck the tax, could there be a pathway to a deal with the Brooklyn Nets, for example?" Scotto suggested on Tuesday afternoon.
"In any potential Simons trade scenario, there’s been a hesitancy to take on future long-term money for Boston," Scotto continued. "Thus, acquiring a player such as Terance Mann, who’s owed $31.5 million over the following two seasons, would not align with Boston’s preferred stance."
"Instead, players such as Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams, who each have a $6.25 million team option for next season, would be more likely to appeal to Boston."
"The Celtics also showed interest in signing Sharpe as a free agent this summer to compete for their starting center role, per league sources, but only had a minimum contract available at the time."
Though the Nets' hopeful first-time All-Star Porter Jr. might not be within the realm of possibility for Boston, several crucial, do-it-all Nets contributors could be made available for the right price in a deal centered around their scoring guard Anfernee Simons.
The ex-Portland Trail Blazer and former Damian Lillard protégé hasn't reached his pure scoring output from seasons past, though he's remained a stellar three-point marksman on high volume (39.6% three-point percentage, 6.5 attempts). It could be argued that the 26-year-old is a decent timeline fit, and that his overall offensive skillset could support a Nets group severely lacking in that respect.
Seeing as though the Celtics' center core took a massive hit this past offseason, a player of Day'Ron Sharpe's caliber could heavily interest the 2024 NBA champions. Over his past five games, Sharpe has done plenty to up that value by contributing 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.0 steals on an impressive 62.9% shooting percentage from the floor.
Sharpe's all-around game should draw plenty of attention from prospective suitors, and the Celtics could be a franchise tempted to check in on his availability in the coming weeks.