NBA Rumors: Nets Open To Trading Big Man

 

The Brooklyn Nets are still trying to find some consistency, as they now sit 3rd in the Eastern Conference, after losing 6 of their last 10 games. According to ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks, the Nets are "going to have an interesting decision" to make in their frontcourt. 

Marks, speaking on The Hoop Collective podcast with fellow insider Brian Windhorst, was referring to the older vets that the Nets have gotten very little out of this year, in Blake Griffin and Paul Millsap. And as Marks noted, they've gotten some very good production of late from rookie big man Day'Ron Sharpe.  

This led Windhorst to drop this rumor: 

There's been some chatter through a couple of teams I've talked to that the Nets have dipped their toe into the trade market for Nic Claxton. In other words, maybe thinking about trading him.

Claxton's value at the defensive end has been an asset this season for the Nets, however, he becomes a restricted free agent at season's end, and the Nets are over the luxury tax by a huge amount. Would they be willing to throw big dollars at Claxton this offseason? 

"If they think that Sharpe," postulated Windhorst, "can be effective in that role at center, I think there's a possibility that they could look at doing something with Nic Claxton before the deadline... That's one thing to watch."

The 22-year-old Claxton has only played in 20 games this season, but shown some promise, shooting 65.6% from the floor, averaging 9.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in just 20 minutes a game. There's no doubt some rebuilding teams looking for youth would be interested in adding the 6'11" big man. 

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