Clippers Finally Address Center Depth by Signing Defensive Specialist

As the Los Angeles Clippers await the resolution of the Kawhi Leonard saga, they are also building out their roster for next season. Even though they have made most of their offseason moves, the Clippers still have some work to do. On Tuesday, they made a signing to address one of their top weaknesses.

HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported that the Clippers were signing center Jamarion Sharp to a two-way contract.

Clippers Sign Elite Rim Protector Jamarion Sharp to a Two-Way Deal

This move fills a clear need for the Clippers, who will start the season with Yanic Konan Niederhauser sidelined as he recovers from his Lisfranc surgery. Brook Lopez is 38 years old, and undersized Isaiah Jackson is the only other center on the roster. Sharp will only be on a two-way contract, but should get an opportunity right away.

Sharp provides much-needed size and length for the Clippers. With a seven-foot-five frame and a seven-foot-nine wingspan, Sharp immediately becomes one of the longest players in the league. This obviously makes him a fascinating defensive option.

Rim protection is Sharp's calling card. Over his two seasons in the G League with the Texas Legends, Sharp averaged 3.5 blocks in only 23.1 minutes per game. This earned him the G League Defensive Player of the Year award last year. His slight frame despite his length allows him to be quicker and more mobile than most players of his mold.

Throughout his basketball career, Sharp has put up impressive shot-blocking numbers. He led the nation in blocks in his two years at Western Kentucky.

This year, he spent time on Sacramento and Toronto's Summer League teams. In seven games, he averaged 6.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in 16 minutes per game. This production caught the eye of the Clippers and landed him his second NBA opportunity.

After he went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft, Sharp joined the Dallas Mavericks but was waived before the start of the season. He proceeded to join the Texas Legends in the G League, where he spent the last two seasons.

With the addition of Sharp, the Clippers have officially filled out all three of their two-way slots. Nick Martinelli and Sean Pedulla are signed to the other slots. Sharp may have a clearer path to playing time early in the season than Pedulla and Martinelli.

This presents a big opportunity for the 24-year-old center, who has dealt with legal trouble in the past. In April 2024, Sharp was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault for firing a gun at a repo man when a vehicle was being repossessed in Mississippi. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.

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