UNC Basketball: Day’Ron Sharpe withdraws from NBA Draft Combine

In a rather shocking development, former UNC basketball standout Day’Ron Sharpe has reportedly withdrawn from the NBA draft combine.

The NBA draft combine is officially underway in Chicago. As some of the top players in this year’s draft class compete in the event, there was notable player who was not in attendance.

According to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated, former UNC basketball standout Day’Ron Sharpe has withdrawn from this year’s event. According to Woo’s sources, Sharpe pulled out of his scheduled team interviews, and also did not take measurements along with the other NBA draft prospects.

This was a bit of surprising news, considering that Sharpe would have had the opportunity to showcase his athleticism and basketball skills to NBA executives around the league. However, there could be more to Sharpe’s decision to withdraw from the event.

To avoid getting any Tar Heel fans hopes up: Sharpe will not be returning to Chapel Hill for his sophomore season. The former McDonald’s All-American has already signed with an agent, CAA Sports, which means that he has officially given up his remaining collegiate eligibility.

Now that we addressed his chances of coming back to North Carolina, let’s take a deeper look into this decision. Here are some possibilities that could have played a factor.

Is Sharpe hurt? Based on recent social media posts, that doesn’t look to be the case.

In the video below, which was posted on June 22, the day of the start of the NBA draft combine, it appears that Sharpe is in great shape as he continues to refine his overall game.

Now, if he isn’t making a last-minute decision to return to school, and if he isn’t hurt, why would Sharpe decide to sit the combine out?

Well, is could be that an NBA club has already promised Sharpe that they will select him in this year’s draft.

Yes, Sharpe could have increased his stock by working out at the event. However, if he received a promise from a potential good landing spot for him, his agency may have urged him to sit out and be content with where he will likely end up.

After an impressive freshman season in Chapel Hill, Sharpe is viewed as a player with a lot of talent but a guy who also needs some development as well. His landing spot is very important for his career, as he needs to end up in a place where he can contribute but will also have time to grow and mature as a basketball player.

Based on recent mock drafts, most analysts see Sharpe as a late first-round pick, while some see him slipping into the early portion of the second round. Teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns are the teams who seem to be connected to the talented big man the most.

What’s the common denominator that all four of those teams share? They all are contending teams and have some very talented players that Sharpe can learn from.

If drafted by one of those organizations, Sharpe can go in and use his athleticism, high motor and above-average passing skills to make an impact on the court right away. Imagine having the opportunity to have Sharpe learn from a guy such as Deandre Ayton, or play alongside a trio such as Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving?

We don’t know for sure what Sharpe’s thought process is regarding his decision to opt-out of the NBA draft combine. However, if a promise was made to Sharpe’s camp, and the opportunity seemed like a good fit to begin his professional basketball career, the decision could make that much more sense.

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates regarding Day’Ron Sharpe and the UNC basketball program.