The Brooklyn Nets are gearing up for the second half of the season, but they'll be doing so without their starting center, Nic Claxton. After spraining his right ankle in practice on Wednesday, Claxton has been ruled out for Thursday's road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Claxton has been a standout for the Nets this season, bouncing back impressively from an injury-plagued 2024-25. He's been putting up career-best numbers, averaging 12.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.3 blocks while shooting a remarkable 59.0 percent from the field over 50 games.
The Nets haven't disclosed the severity of Claxton's ankle sprain, but his absence is significant for a team deep in the NBA's draft race. With Brooklyn eyeing draft positioning, there's no rush to hasten Claxton's return.
Brooklyn finds itself in a strategic spot, sitting fifth in the draft lottery standings. They're just a game behind the Washington Wizards in second and 1.5 games ahead of the Utah Jazz in sixth.
Other teams in the lottery mix have also started resting key players, with the Sacramento Kings shutting down Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine, and the Utah Jazz sidelining Jaren Jackson Jr. The Wizards' Trae Young and Anthony Davis are also out indefinitely, as is Ivica Zubac with the Indiana Pacers.
The Nets have a challenging road ahead, with 12 of their next 17 games against teams boasting winning records, marking the sixth-toughest remaining schedule in the league.
In Claxton's absence, Day'Ron Sharpe will step up as the starting center. Sharpe has been making waves as one of the league's top backup centers, averaging 8.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 61.1 percent in just 18.5 minutes per game.
Danny Wolf and Noah Clowney are also expected to get more minutes with the second unit, providing depth in the center position during this crucial stretch.