Day’Ron Sharpe is officially back with the Brooklyn Nets, just days after the team declined to extend his qualifying offer and made him an unrestricted free agent.
The 23-year-old center spoke about his return Sunday during the Nets’ 102-96 summer league loss to the Washington Wizards, expressing gratitude for staying with the team that drafted him.
“It feels good to be back in Brooklyn,” Sharpe said, via Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “I feel good to play for Jordi [Fernández], to play for the Brooklyn Nets organization. I got drafted here, it’s always home, so it’s good to be back for the team, for the Brooklyn Nets.”
Brooklyn renounced Sharpe’s free agent rights last week, a move that allowed the team to preserve salary cap flexibility. The front office decided against his $5.98 million qualifying offer for 2025–26 but remained interested in retaining him on more favorable terms.
Sharpe appeared in 50 games last season, posting career highs of 7.9 points and 6.6 rebounds in just over 18 minutes per game. He also improved his free-throw percentage to 75.7% and added 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks per contest.
Despite his individual progress, the Nets endured a difficult season, finishing 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 26–56 record and missing the playoffs.
Drafted 29th overall in 2021 after one season at North Carolina, Sharpe has logged 191 games in four years, averaging 6.5 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 55% from the field. He primarily served as a backup to Nic Claxton but often delivered energy and production off the bench.
The Nets are currently reshaping their roster under new head coach Jordi Fernández. They selected Russian guard Egor Demin with the No. 8 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and continue to explore moves that balance competitiveness with financial flexibility.
