The Raptors may have found another intriguing big man during Summer League, but they won’t get the chance to see where it goes.
After a strong week in Las Vegas, Jamarion Sharp is reportedly signing a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, according to NBA insider Michael Scotto. It’s a tough one for Toronto.
The Raptors don’t exactly have a ton of depth in the frontcourt, and Sharp looked like someone worth taking a chance on. At 7-foot-5, he gave Toronto something it simply doesn’t have a lot of — size around the rim.
Sharp finished his five games averaging 7.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocks while shooting better than 71 per cent from the field. His shot-blocking ranked among the best in Las Vegas. His best basketball came over the final two games.
Against the Miami Heat, Sharp came alive offensively, scoring three straight field-goals. Two of which were highlight reel worthy alley-oop dunks. Sharp also put on a show in his Summer League finale against the Denver Nuggets.
With more minutes than he’d seen earlier in the tournament, Sharp responded with arguably his best performance of the week, finishing with eight points, 10 rebounds, three blocks, a steal and an assist in 25 minutes.
Sharp still hasn’t appeared in an NBA regular-season game. Since leaving Ole Miss, he’s spent time with the Mavericks organization on Exhibit 10 contracts while continuing to develop in the G League.
Last season, he was named the G League Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 4.1 blocks per game. He also chipped in 7.7 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting an incredible 73.5 per cent from the field.
For the Clippers, it’s a low-risk move on a player with obvious upside. For the Raptors, it means one less option at a position where they could’ve used another body. The good news is Toronto still has one open two-way contract, and another big man, Nate Bittle made a strong case for himself during Summer League as well.