Jordi Fernandez was recently appointed as the new head coach for the Brooklyn Nets, and his first order of business is to make sure he’ll have a competitive roster to work with next season.
With the offseason only a few weeks away, the Spanish tactician shared his ideas and said that the Brooklyn Nets should prioritize re-signing Nic Claxton, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent, a new extension.
“Nic is a big that has defensive versatility,” Fernandez said about Claxton at his introductory press conference. “I believe he’ll be Defensive Player of the Year. For us, he’s a priority in this summer.”
“We hope he’s a Net for a very long time. We hope we can continue to build around him and build with him. It’s been fun to watch Nic develop from his days at Georgia then coming all the way through here. I think he’s scratched the surface of who he could end up being one day,” added Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks.
Nic Claxton can command a huge payday from the Brooklyn Nets
Nic Claxton is coming off a solid 2023-24 campaign for the Brooklyn Nets, averaging 11.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 62.9 percent from the field in 71 games during the regular season. He is coming off a two-year, $17 million contract he signed in 2022.
According to Erik Slater from ClutchPoints, Nic Claxton can see a huge bump in his salary because he can get a contract in the range of $20 million per year, as per various league executives.
Other than the Brooklyn Nets, the Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, and New Orleans Pelicans are some of the teams to watch out for because they could use an additional rim protector this summer.
“I’m an unrestricted free agent, so it’ll be my decision. So I’ll have to talk with my family and my agents, pray about it, and see if that’s the best fit. At the end of the day, business is business. I’ll have to weigh my options,” Claxton said in his exit interview.
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