The Brooklyn Nets have reportedly been linked to Donovan Mitchell with trade interest if he becomes available and have several attractive trade candidates on their roster, but the Net player rival NBA executives are monitoring the most is Nic Claxton – one of the top free agents on the market in 2024.
Claxton’s projected salary heading into free agency is $21 million per year, according to 12 NBA executives polled by HoopsHype. Two of the 12 executives believed Claxton could get as high as $27 million annually, four other executives pegged Claxton’s value in the $20-25 million range, and two executives valued Claxton at $20 million annually.
“I could see $25 million per year as an inflation of Jarrett Allen’s deal for Claxton, or I could see Allen’s deal at $20 million annually,” an NBA executive told HoopsHype.
The consensus among the executives is Claxton’s shot blocking, switching ability on defense to stay in front of smaller guards on the perimeter, ball handling for a player his size, youth, and athleticism were the needle-moving points to pay him. The downsides were his lack of perimeter floor spacing and foul shooting.
With roughly a quarter of the season complete, Claxton spoke with HoopsHype about Brooklyn’s start, expectations for the Nets the rest of the way, the team’s core, goals, his free agency future, and much more.
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Nic Claxton: As a group, we’ve been pretty solid, around .500 for the year. I think we’ve done a pretty good job of winning the games we’re supposed to win. For us, taking that next step as a group is going out and beating some of the top teams in the East and around the league.
NC: Fair expectations for us are definitely being a playoff team and definitely going to the playoffs, making some noise, and turning some heads. Obviously, we get to the playoffs, we won’t be a favorite, but going in there, getting some wins, and making it tough for whoever we play against. We got swept a couple of years in a row. That leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
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NC: The league is the league. The league is real political. They have certain things they look at like, if we don’t have any superstars on our team right now, that’s kind of how the league works. It just adds more fuel to the fire for me. I feel like I’ve always been overlooked kind of throughout my career. I’ve just got to go out and prove myself every night like I’ve been doing.
NC: All-Defensive Team or Defensive Player of the Year along those lines and improving in every category. I’m trying to be a better basketball player. Reading the game better, being a better teammate, calling out plays, and being more vocal.
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NC: It’s been an adjustment for me defensively with us being in a drop and not guarding one through five, but it’s been a good challenge. I think as far as my case for a Defensive Player of the Year, I know that our team metrics need to be better for me to be in that discussion. That’s a big focus for the group right now. We have a lot of really good individual defenders, so we should definitely be in that Top 10 range defensively.
NC: One of the better two-way players in the league. Offensively, given the opportunity, being that guy that can go out and average around 15 points. At the end of the day, I know what I’ll hang my hat on will be on the defensive side of the ball.
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NC: I think he’s definitely telling the truth, but I can’t get caught up in all that. I’ve got to go out and continue to do what I do. I know that financially, I’ll be taken care of at the end of the day. That’s something that’s pretty much always on your mind being in this position, but I’ve got to play basketball and be the best version of myself, and I’ll be good with that.
NC: A place where I’m wanted. I’m here now. Hopefully, everything works out with Brooklyn. I love it here.
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NC: I think we have a really good core. We’ve got Mikal (Bridges) and Cam (Johnson). You’ve got Ben (Simmons). I think we’ve got a really good thing going here as of right now. We’ve got to stay present and take it game by game. It’s not my job to focus on everything going on or if we’re trying to bring in more pieces. I don’t get into all of that. I definitely like the guys we have here in the locker room.
You can follow Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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