NBA Mock Trade: Warriors Send Young Guard for Nets' Big

The Brooklyn Nets have undergone a metamorphosis in recent years, recently added a record five first rounders at the 2025 NBA Draft.

With that being the case, it seems the team will again contend for a top draft spot in the 2026 NBA Draft. But to do so, it may need to continue off-loading some of its win-now core.

One such player it could look to trade is Nicolas Claxton, who despite being a great five, might hold his highest value presently. And could help a contending team on the interior.

Below, we'll look at a deal that could help both Brooklyn and Golden State next season and for the future:

Brooklyn Nets get: Moses Moody, Buddy Hield

Golden State Warriors get: Nic Claxton

In this theoretical deal, the Golden State Warriors land one of the top potentially available big men on the trade market in Nicolas Claxton.

As it stands now, the Warriors only have soon-to-be second-year Quentin Post playing the five. While he saw a decent first season, he may not be ready for plus impact just yet, and with the team's postseason aspirations, Claxton would certainly be an upgrade.

Last season, Claxton added 10.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. While it wasn’t his best year, there’s a chance he could tap into his previously Defensive Player of the Year-level defense and efficient scoring in the Warriors’ core — especially alongside Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler and more.

In turn, the Nets get young guard Moses Moody as the centerpiece. 

Taken with the No. 14 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Moody’s seen a decent early career stint, most recently averaging 9.8 points on 37% 3-point shooting on the wing. Still, Golden State hasn’t had ample opportunity for him through four years, with him playing a record 22 minutes per game in year 4.

In Brooklyn, the still-23-year-old could be added to the Nets’ young core as a long-term piece, playing upwards of 30 minutes at the two-guard alongside new handlers in Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf and more.

Hield is added to make money work, though in a real deal, Golden State would likely have to find a way around offloading the sharpshooter in order to keep its 3-point shooting edge. Hield, too, would be a solid veteran to add alongside Brooklyn's new crop of young ball-handlers.

Regardless, there could be a framework for the Nets and Warriors to agree on a deal in the coming weeks, be it for Claxton, Moody, free agent Jonathan Kuminga in a sign-and-trade- Michael Porter Jr. or more.