The New Orleans Pelicans could be on the lookout for a new big man in the summer, and one name that has been floated in the rumor mill is Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype , the Pelicans could lose Jonas Valanciunas in free agency with the team potentially having no big desire to keep him via a new contract. Such a scenario could widen the door for the Pels’ possible pursuit of Claxton.
Two teams with the ability to make a sign-and-trade agreement potentially happen are the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans. I know there are members of the Pelicans organization who like Claxton, and the future of Jonas Valanciunas is uncertain, given how close the team will be to the luxury tax next season and his lack of usage at the end of the games, including the Play-In loss to the Lakers. I know Grizzlies fans have been in my mentions and quote tweeting my Claxton video where he talked about being an unrestricted free agent, but I’m not sure yet how high the Grizzlies are on Claxton.
Will the New Orleans Pelicans Go After Nic Claxton?
Claxton has zero All-Stars under his belt, but one thing about him is that he has been the Nets’ No. 1 player in terms of Win Shares in each of the last two Brooklyn seasons, including the 2023-24 campaign. He is still young and should be due for a raise in salary, as his current contract is about to expire in the summer. (The Nets inked him to a two-year deal worth $17.25 million in 2022). Claxton could be a quality (and more) replacement for Valanciunas in New Orleans, but that’s all speculation for now.
Nevertheless, Claxton is an asset worth keeping an eye on in free agency after he averaged 11.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 71 games for the Nets in the 2023-24 season.
More must-reads: