Nets' Nic Claxton: Keep or Trade This Offseason?

Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton is in the first season of his four-year, $100 million contract, but he hasn't quite lived up to expectations.

Claxton, 25, is averaging 10 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for the Nets this season, both of which are lower than last year.

That's part of the reason why Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley named him as a trade target for the offseason.

"The Nets seem like obvious wheelers-and-dealers for a few different reasons. For starters, this roster needs a significant refresh. However, they may not be down for long. They want to go "star-searching," per ESPN's Brian Windhorst, and they possess both the cap space to sign elite players and the trade chips to acquire them," Buckley writes.

"It's tough to gauge how many (if any) long-term keepers the Nets feel they already have, but they were "willing to listen to offers" for Nic Claxton ahead of the trade deadline, per The Athletic's Sam Vecenie. It's tough to imagine anything has taken Claxton off the table since.

"Frankly, this has been a bit of a down season for him, though his rim-running and finishing could perk back up with better playmakers than he has in Brooklyn. But teams in the Claxton market will mostly want his defense, as it can be among the most versatile and impactful at the center position."

The Nets still have high hopes for Claxton, but he will likely have some interest in the trade market this offseason, and Brooklyn is still at a point in its rebuild to where it cannot ignore calls on anyone.