Report: Raptors Interested in Nets' Nic Claxton

Nic Claxton has reportedly joined a list of frontcourt pieces the Toronto Raptors are looking ahead of next week's trade deadline.

The 6-foot-11 Brooklyn Nets big has piqued Toronto's interest, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto. He joins Jakob Poeltl, Myles Turner, Robert Williams III, Jusuf Nurkic, Daniel Theis, and Danilo Gallinari as bigs the Raptors have reportedly expressed interest in leading into the Feb. 10 deadline.

Claxton, 22, isn't quite as talented as some of the other names on that list. He's still raw offensively, averaging just 9.1 points per game with 12 total three-pointers attempted for his career. He is, however, a skilled defender who can hold his own in the paint and switch out to the perimeter in a pinch.

Adding Claxton would be more of a long-term play than a win-now move for the Raptors. While he is in the final year of his contract this season, he'd presumably re-sign this summer and join Toronto's younger core alongside Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, and Gary Trent Jr.

The problem for Toronto is finding a deal that makes sense for both teams. Both the Raptors and the Nets are in the thick of a playoff race and Goran Dragic, Toronto's most obvious trade candidate, makes far too much money to be traded for Claxton without more players involved.

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