If the Los Angeles Lakers have one concern about their roster entering the 2026-27 season, it's depth at center (or a lack thereof, in their case). Behind an injury-prone Walker Kessler and an aging, floor-bound Kevon Looney, the Lakers don't have any great rebounding options at the five.
Enter Brooklyn Nets center Day'Ron Sharpe. He's not trade-eligible until December 15, but the Lakers should be keeping a close eye on Sharpe with designs to acquire him this season if possible.
Lakers should be eyeing Day'Ron Sharpe as a trade target
The Lakers Collective podcast recently suggested that LA might be able to snag Sharpe for two second-round picks once he's eligible. Notably, Sharpe shares an agent with Austin Reaves -- Reggie Berry of AMR Agency.
Sharpe is a good rebounder on both sides of the floor, and he's constantly improving. Last season, Sharpe appeared in a career-high 62 games and tallied career highs in rebounds per game (6.7) and points per game (8.7) for Brooklyn.
Still only 24 years old, Sharpe's entering his sixth NBA season and is truly starting to put it all together as a rebounding big man. He's even begun incorporating a 3-point shot. There's a reason the Nets have named Sharpe their starting five entering the season.
I think Day'Ron Sharpe is in for a big year with the Nets. He should get plenty of minutes as the starting center now. I bet we see Sharpe's passing ability unlocked even more than we've seen before.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) October 7, 2026
If Sharpe keeps trending upwards, he's a bargain contract -- $10 million this year and a $10 million team option for next season. That's a cap hit that the Lakers would have no issue with, especially given their roster needs at center. Lakers analyst Pete Zayas said of Sharpe that "he can play that Looney role [for the Lakers] a little bit better than Looney does."
Sharpe's been linked to the Lakers before, especially when LA was still unsure if the Kessler deal would happen. There's no reason why the Lakers should stop monitoring Sharpe, even now that Kessler has arrived. Looking around at other options at backup center on the market, Goga Bitadze is intriguing, but that might not work out from a locker room standpoint. Sharpe would, and he'd probably be energized to leave the lowly Nets and play for the Lakers.
Day'Ron Sharpe would surely welcome a Lakers trade, but would the Nets allow it?
It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall in Brooklyn's front office as it discusses a potential Sharpe trade. The Nets believe in Sharpe's talent (hence the starting role), and they might be hesitant to trade him just as he's approaching the start of his physical prime.
Furthermore, the Lakers' potential matching salaries -- namely, guys like Jarred Vanderbilt or Dalton Knecht -- aren't the most enticing trade chips. The second-rounders would be what Brooklyn's more interested in for Sharpe (if at all).
Sharpe would certainly enhance his brand and relevance in the basketball world by moving from the Nets to the Lakers. It would be a good trade for his career, but that doesn't mean the Nets think it would be a good trade for their franchise. In any case, the Lakers should try to make this happen as soon as December 15 arrives.
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