The Brooklyn Nets are moving on from one of the most reliable pieces they’ve had since the move to Brooklyn, and that decision could end up mattering more than it looks on paper.
Nic Claxton spent seven seasons with the organization that drafted him 31st overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, appearing in 380 games and helping the Nets reach the playoffs in four seasons. In a league where players rarely stick around long enough to become fixtures, Claxton was an exception for Brooklyn - a steady, undervalued presence in the middle.
That run is over now. Claxton was traded to the Chicago Bulls this offseason in a three-team deal that brought Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick, Joshua Jefferson, back to Brooklyn. The move was tied to the front office’s need to clear cap space, and it also fit the broader push to shake things up after three straight seasons near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
Claxton’s place in Nets history is stronger than his departure might suggest. He ranks ninth on the franchise’s all-time rebounding list, seventh in defensive rebounds, fourth in total blocks, third in offensive rating and first in field goal percentage. Since Brooklyn relocated for the 2012-13 season, only Brook Lopez can really be argued as a more valuable center for the team.
Across his Nets career, Claxton averaged 10.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.6 blocks per game. His efficiency on both ends made him a real impact player, even if the organization ultimately decided it was time to move on.
There’s also the financial side. Claxton is set to make an average annual salary of $22.1 million over the next two seasons, and he was coming off a down year in rebounding and defensive impact. With Randle bringing in more money to the payroll, Brooklyn appears ready to hand the starting center job to 24-year-old Day’Ron Sharpe.
Sharpe gives the Nets something a little different. He just posted the best scoring season of his career at 8.7 points per game, and he brings more intrigue as a perimeter scorer than Claxton did. Rebounding has long been his calling card, too - he’s one of the league’s most effective rebounders per minute.
But there’s a catch. Sharpe has never been asked to carry a major role.
He usually plays fewer than 20 minutes a night, a far cry from the 30 minutes a starter typically logs. He also has issues with fouls and turnovers, and he remains an unproven rim protector.
So yes, a change in the front court may have been coming after Brooklyn’s recent struggles. Still, with more depth on the roster this season than in years past, Claxton might have been exactly the kind of stabilizing force the young backcourt needed.
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