Charlotte Hornets projected as a top trade destination for Nets' big man

The Brooklyn Nets' loss could be the Charlotte Hornets' gain. With five first-round rookies coming in and Cam Johnson leaving via trade, the Nets are likely going full tilt with the rebuild, and there could be even more trades coming. Nic Claxton makes sense as he has value as a defensive anchor that just doesn't fit Brooklyn's window anymore.

If that sounds like something the Hornets need, that's because it is. With Mark Williams traded (not that he was ever a defensive anchor) and Jusuf Nurkic elsewhere, too, the Hornets need a center, and Claxton, per Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley, makes sense for Charlotte.

"The Hornets have shipped out Mark Williams and Jusuf Nurkić this offseason, but they've yet to bring in a replacement big. Claxton could fill that void while forming a prolific pick-and-roll partnership with LaMelo Ball and backbone-ing a defense that's had a bottom-third efficiency in each of the past two seasons," he said.

He added that Claxton wasn't great in 2024-25, but he had a really difficult situation in which the Nets used 24 players, none of whom were good passers or defenders. That left him alone on offense and on an island defensively.

In Charlotte, he'd have LaMelo Ball passing him the ball. Charlotte is not full of good defenders, either, but they've gotten better on that end this offseason, and Charles Lee's system has brought out better defense than the players would have on their own.

It might cost to add Claxton, a 26-year-old still in his prime, but Charlotte has been stockpiling assets and very well could finally dip into the reserves to make a move like this.

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