The Brooklyn Nets' Biggest 2024-25 Breakout Candidate

In January of 2021, the Brooklyn Nets delt Jarrett Allen in a four-team deal that paired James Harden with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

General manager Sean Marks was comfortable with dealing the future all-star knowing that he had a young Nic Claxton positioned as the backup center, poised to one day move into a full-time position.

A very similar scenario could be playing out right before Nets' fans eyes.

As Nic Claxton's pending free-agency looms, a slew of playoff-ready teams will be vying for his services. As the franchise sits "at crossroads," paying Claxton upwards of $25 million annually would not be the smartest financial play. Backup center Day'Ron Sharpe could soften the blow on a potential Claxton departure.

Please enjoy 3 minutes of Day’Ron Sharpe crashing the boards pic.twitter.com/B9pz7qtyAF
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) May 30, 2024

The 22-year-old out of the University of North Carolina has the opportunity to break out the same way Claxton did following the Allen trade. Just last season, Sharpe tallied 6.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and .6 blocks per game while playing just over 15 minutes nightly.

When these marks are translated into "per 36" numbers, the 6'9 big man jumps up to 16.2 points, 15.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Claxton averaged 29.8 minutes in each contest last season. If Sharpe were to step into the starting five, his numbers would not be as staggering as the "per 36," but he could easily hit the 12-and-10 mark Claxton nearly did in the 2023-24 campaign.

It would make no sense to pay Claxton as much as he could command if Brooklyn develops Sharpe correctly. Player development has been a major issue for the franchise in recent years, with the majority of their impact pieces coming by way of trades or free agency. Already an anchor on the defensive end, if Sharpe can hone in the offensive skills he put on display at Chapel Hill, the Nets will be able to comfortably allow Claxton to sign with a contender this off-season.

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