Getty Mikal Bridges #1 and Nic Claxton #33 of the Brooklyn Nets.
Brooklyn Nets’ starting center Nic Claxton has been one of the few bright spots for the franchise during a turbulent 2023 season. But despite being one of the Nets’ main contributors this year, Claxton is currently on a 2-year, $17.2 million deal that expires at the end of next season. Rival teams will likely be salivating at the opportunity to sign him, but Claxton says he desires to stay in Brooklyn.
“It’s human nature. It’s just in our business, you never really know what’s going to happen as far as trades, contracts, and everything. But I’ve been here four years, and Brooklyn has played a huge role in my growth. And I would love to be here,” Claxton said to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
“But we’ll see how that shakes out. I’m just taking it day by day, have a great summer working out and figure all that stuff out later.”
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Jacque Vaughn Praises Nic Claxton
Claxton has steadily improved his stats every year since he entered the league. Still, 2023 will go down as the season he leaped into stardom. The Nets big man is second in the NBA in field goal percentage at a blistering 70.4% this season and is second in blocks per game at 2.5 per contest. Although he has blossomed into a player that can stuff the stat sheet nightly, Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn is most impressed with Claxton’s availability.
“The biggest thing I point to is the availability. You just look at the amount of minutes he’s played this year, definitely highs for him. That’s always a question you’re going to have about an athlete: Are they going to do it over and over again when you invest in them, you believe in them, and you want them to be a part of growing with you going forward,” Vaughn said to the New York Post.
“So, he’s proven that he can suit up, play against different dudes — that’s whether it’s a big, whether it’s an agile guy, whether it’s someone that is twice his size — and figure it out. And that’s because of availability.”
Nic Claxton Sounds off on Nets’ Adjustments
Claxton has seen it all since coming to the Nets in 2019. He watched the Nets send out a king’s ransom to acquire All-Star guard James Harden in 2021, then ship him to the Philadelphia 76ers a year later. He’s seen Kenny Atkinson get replaced by Jacque Vaughn to see Vaughn get replaced by Steve Nash, and Nash get replaced by Vaughn. And in the latest groundbreaking event in Brooklyn, he saw the Nets trade Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving just days apart.
But regardless of the circumstances, Claxton always finds a way to adjust, which has been key for him becoming a staple in Brooklyn. This season has been no different.
“At the beginning of this year up until the trades, I pretty much mastered that role. I figured it out, I was picking my spots, and it was just natural, it was easy,” Claxton added.
“And then boom, the trade happens, it’s a whole new team. So, it was definitely an adjustment period, and I had to figure it out.”
If the Nets hope to be competitive in the future, they’ll need to do everything they can to keep Claxton on the roster.