How Deandre Ayton Joining Lakers Impacts Nic Claxton’s Market with the Nets

On Wednesday, Brooklyn Nets big man Nic Claxton's most-rumored trade destination filled their biggest hole.

The Los Angeles Lakers signed Deandre Ayton—who was bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers on June 29—giving Luka Doncic the lob threat he's been seeking since being traded at this past season's deadline.

LA's addition of Ayton appears to end the franchise's interest in bringing in Claxton via trade, but may not kill the flow of rumors.

The Lakers weren't the only suitor who ultimately turned elsewhere, though. The Phoenix Suns were repeatedly listed as a landing spot for Claxton ahead of the NBA Draft, but ended up drafting Duke's Khaman Maluach and trading for Charlotte's Mark Williams.

While it would be easy to now project that Claxton will be back as the Nets' starter next season, there are still teams around the league who are in need of center help and may be intrigued by the thought of adding the 26-year-old.

Thomas Gorski of Charlotte Hornets on SI proposed a deal which would send Claxton to team up with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, landing Miles Bridges in Brooklyn—likely to become the team's new starting power forward.

"The Hornets send Miles Bridges, Nick Smith Jr., Dallas’ 2027 first-round pick (top-two protected), and a 2029 first-rounder (from either Utah, Cleveland, or Minnesota) to the Nets in exchange for center Nic Claxton," Gorski wrote.

Brooklyn has yet to officially put Claxton on the trade block, but has continued to maintain that everyone is available for the right price since committing to a rebuild last summer.

If the Hornets were to approach the Nets with this kind of offer—which is better than essentially anything the Lakers could've put together—it'd be hard to imagine general manager Sean Marks turning it down.

Plus, the re-signing of Day'Ron Sharpe could make Claxton expendable, especially if the former gets a healthy offseason under head coach Jordi Fernandez, something he didn't receive last year.

Los Angeles was the most obvious landing spot if Brooklyn moved on, but just because Ayton will wear the purple and gold doesn't mean the Claxton rumors will die down just yet.