Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left thumb and will undergo season-ending surgery, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).
A North Carolina native who played one year of college basketball at UNC prior to being selected 29th overall in the 2021 draft, Sharpe had a productive fifth season for the Nets. The 6’10” big man averaged career highs in several categories in 2025/26, including points (8.7), rebounds (6.7) assists (2.3), steals (1.1), and minutes per game (18.7).
Sharpe appeared in a career-best 62 games this season, shooting a career-high 60.1% from the field and 67.8% from the free throw line. He primarily came off the bench behind Nic Claxton, though he made seven starts when Claxton was injured.
This is the third straight season in which the Nets have been better when Sharpe is on the court compared to when he’s not playing. During Sharpe’s minutes, Brooklyn held a net rating of -4.3, which is the top mark on the team among rotation regulars. When the 24-year-old wasn’t playing, the team’s net rating plummeted to -11.4.
The Nets hold a $6.25MM team option on Sharpe for next season. If they exercise it, he will be an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
If Brooklyn declines the option to try and work out a long-term contract, the Nets would have an exclusive negotiating window with Sharpe before other teams would be able to talk to him on June 30. That window would open the day after the NBA Finals end — it could start anywhere from June 10-20, depending on how long the series lasts.
This year definitely broke the record for most season ending thumb injuries in a single season