The Brooklyn Nets may have lost another rotation player for an extended period Sunday, with emerging center Day'Ron Sharpe suffering a knee injury during a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. The 22-year-old's knee buckled while landing after contesting a layup. Sharpe was in clear pain and needed to be helped to the locker room.

The Nets called the injury a knee sprain, but head coach Jacque Vaughn said postgame that Sharpe will receive an MRI Monday and will not travel with the team to Paris ahead of Thursday's matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Left knee sprain. He’ll get an MRI tomorrow,” Vaughn said. “He’ll stay back, won’t travel with us to Paris right now. We’ll see if he’s going to join us in Paris.”

Day'Ron Sharpe breaking out with Nets this season

Sharpe missing an extended period would present a significant blow to Brooklyn's frontcourt amid the third-year center's breakout. After struggling to crack the Nets' rotation during his first two seasons, the former first-round pick has solidified a rotation role, averaging 7.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 16.0 minutes per game, all career-highs.

The North Carolina product has continued his dominance on the boards, ranking second in the NBA in rebounding percentage (minimum 100 minutes played).

He has also made significant strides as a finisher offensively, a weakness in prior seasons. Sharpe is shooting 57.5 percent from the field while converting a career-high 66% of his attempts at the rim. Those improvements have even translated to the free-throw line, with the big man converting 17-of-25 attempts (68%) over his last eight games.

Next man up

If Sharpe misses extended time, journeyman Harry Giles and rookie Noah Clowney are the next men up at center behind Nic Claxton.

Giles, the former No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2016, had not appeared in an NBA game in over two years before signing with Brooklyn this season. He has made 10 appearances for the Nets, averaging 4.1 points and 1.7 rebounds in 5.9 minutes per game. His lone non-garbage time appearance came during a shorthanded loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 27, during which he posted one point and four rebounds in seven minutes.

Clowney, the 21st pick in the 2023 draft, has spent most of his time in the G League this season, averaging 13.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.8 blocks per game on 55/32/70 shooting splits. With Brooklyn resting most of its rotation during the Bucks loss, Clowney received extended playing time over Giles, posting 14 points, four rebounds and two assists on 6-of-9 shooting in 24 minutes.

The Alabama product is the NBA's fourth-youngest player at 19 years, 178 days. Vaughn could also choose to deploy Dorian Finney-Smith as a small-ball center behind Claxton, as he did late last season and at points early this year.