Why the Nets Won’t Trade Nic Claxton Despite Rising Trade Speculation

Nic Claxton’s name has surfaced in trade rumors, but the Brooklyn Nets value his defense, versatility and long-term fit too much to move him.

Mar 28, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) reacts during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Genuine question: does anyone really expect for the Brooklyn Nets to trade Nic Claxton this far into the offseason?

Claxton's name was thrown around constantly before Kevin Durant was shipped to the Houston Rockets, largely due to the Phoenix Suns' lack of big man depth and Brooklyn's presumed inclusion in any prospective deal.

But that saga is over. Durant has a new home, and Phoenix added both Khaman Maluach and Mark Williams—so they're set at the five. Thus, Claxton should be safe from rumors, no?

Apparently not. One Google search of the term "Brooklyn Nets" will garner multiple articles of mock trades, most of which involve Brooklyn sending Claxton to some sort of playoff contender.

The Boston Celtics have been named suitors. The New York Knicks have been mocked to trade their own superstar big man, Karl Anthony-Towns, in exchange for Claxton. Even the Charlotte Hornets, who just traded Williams to the Suns, have landed Claxton in some mock deals.

Here's the thing: Claxton isn't going anywhere. After "surviving" the Durant deal (there's never been true confirmation that he would've been involved, just tons of speculation), there's no reason for Claxton's name to dominate the trade rumors.

He's still just 26 years old, and while he did have a down year statistically in Jordi Fernandez's first season at the helm, the Nets extended Claxton for a reason. They clearly view him as the frontcourt's anchor—at least for the next three seasons.

Plus, if moving Claxton truly was one of Brooklyn's priorities, wouldn't it have worked to further address the position outside of simply re-signing Day'Ron Sharpe? The Nets had a top-10 pick and easily could've taken a big if they wanted to start fresh in that area, and they didn't.

Obviously, if a team calls up Sean Marks and offers the world for Claxton, then that would be a different story. Towns wasn't expected to be traded from Minnesota, but New York worked late in the summer to pull off a shocking blockbuster.

But Claxton and Towns are different players, who impact the game in different ways. The mock trades are fun and all, but there just doesn't seem to be a realistic shot Claxton gets "Townsed" this far into the offseason.

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