Should Nets Move on From Nic Claxton Next Season?

The Brooklyn Nets have been through plenty of changes in the past several years, and it might be time to part with the lone constant on the floor.

In 2019, the Nets added Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in one of the most electric offseasons in league history. While that led to Brooklyn being in contention for a couple of years, it’s now stuck in a rebuild without much to show for that era.

However, one of the Nets’ 2019 additions is still in town. That summer, the Nets added Nic Claxton with the first pick of the second round, and he’s been a key fixture of the Brooklyn frontcourt for most of his career.

In 2024, Claxton inked a deal to stick in Brooklyn long term. Entering the second season of his four-year, $100 million deal, the Nets are stuck in the midst of a potentially lengthy rebuild. 

Although Claxton is still relatively young at 26 years old, he is entering his seventh NBA season and could certainly be a factor for a title contender. Sure, his price tag could complicate things for some teams, but with a descending salary, he might be a clear target for some teams next season, which begs the question of whether Brooklyn would be interested in sending him out next season.

Last year, he averaged 10.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks, all numbers that indicated a down year, marking his worst in those stats since the 2021-22 season. Still, a down year shouldn’t change his value too much.

After all, he was in the first year of a new system under Jordi Fernandez and also had a slight decrease in playing time. At $25.4 million next season, Claxton would be quite an expensive backup big man, but he could be a solid starting option for the right team.

While there aren’t necessarily any clear suitors for Claxton at the start of training camp, injuries around the league or other moves could open up options later in the season. Of course, Sean Marks and company won’t be shipping out Claxton just to get rid of him, but the Nets would be wise to take a solid offer if one presents itself.