Nic Claxton Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nets Notes: Claxton, Deadline, Season, Simmons

February 4th, 2024 at 4:25pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Thanks to the absences of several frontcourt rotation players, Nets starting center Nic Claxton has taken on a bigger minutes load, per Bridget Reilly of The New York Post. Across his past 13 appearances, he’s been averaging 33.7 minutes per game, a noticeable increase from the 27.5 MPG he averaged in his prior 25.

“It’s been a challenge, but it’s been a good challenge to have,” Claxton said after practice on Friday. “It’s why you put in all the work in the offseason, to be able to trust your body to play however many minutes that I need to play. I’m looking forward to also getting guys back in the near future and it will also be good to have Ben back, too.”

“You want to play minutes,” Claxton continued. “I’m not complaining. I remember when I wasn’t even in the rotation. So, now that I’m being asked to play a few more minutes than normal, like I said, that’s why you put the work in the offseason.”

Accordingly, Claxton’s counting stats have risen as of late. He’s averaging 13.8 PPG on 66.1% shooting from the field in his last 13 games to go along with 11.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.7 BPG and 1.2 SPG. Those numbers have boosted his season-long averages to 12.4 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 0.7 SPG.

Claxton is finishing up the second season of his two-year, $17.3MM contract with Brooklyn and appears to be in line for a major raise should he continue to produce at this level.

There’s more out of Brooklyn:

Though they have struggled of late, the Nets intend to continue pushing for a spot in the postseason, observes Brian Lewis of The New York Post, in conversation with colleague Brandon London (YouTube video link). “They don’t have any intention of giving up on the season,” Lewis said. At 20-28, Brooklyn has fallen out of the East’s top 10 and would find itself on the outside of the play-in tournament bracket if the season ended today.
In a separate piece (subscriber-exclusive link), Lewis consults with rival league scouts about which players the Nets should look to offload – and which should be retained – as the February 8 trade deadline approaches.
Nets guard Ben Simmons weighed in on how Sixers fans react every time he visits, per Andrew Crane of The New York Post. “It’s funny to me,” Simmons said. “I got grown men pissed off and yelling at me. … It’s not that deep. It’s sports, but it comes with it so I enjoy it.” Simmons played 14 minutes during his new team’s 136-121 victory over his former team on Saturday, pulling down nine boards and five dimes. He was greeted by a chorus of boos during his limited run.

Atlantic Notes: Porter, Porzingis, Thomas, Claxton

January 27th, 2024 at 11:09am CST by Tristan Tucker

A pathway to playing time for Jontay Porter quickly opened up after signing with the Raptors on a two-way contract in December, an opportunity he’s taking advantage of, writes Sportsnet.ca’s Michael Grange. Toronto traded away Precious Achiuwa, and then Jakob Poeltl got injured, resulting in Porter starting five games in a row for the Raptors.

Porter, 24, had a brief stint with the Grizzlies in 2020/21 but had his career set back by numerous knee injuries and hadn’t appeared in a game since May 2021. Now with the Raptors, some of his recent starts have been productive, including going for 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and two blocks against Chicago. He also had nine points, six rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two steals against Utah.

“I’d have to write a book to write down all the things I’ve learned in this short period of time,” Porter said. “Every game, every matchup it seems like when I’m learning something new. A lot of the time it’s from mistakes I’m making, which, you know, it sucks to make mistakes, but at the same time, not having a lot of experience, I’m just happy to be out there. But I’m learning so that hopefully the next game out I can do better, eliminate those mistakes, and help our team win. But for the steady minutes and the steady gameplay, it’s just a blessing, man. And yeah, it’s been a lot of fun to just play basketball.”

Head coach Darko Rajakovic isn’t just handing out minutes, Grange writes, and Porter’s playing time will likely continue to fluctuate by virtue of the fact that he’s on a two-way contract. He’s also currently dealing with an eye injury. However, Grange points out that Rajakovic was an assistant in Memphis when Porter played there, and that level of comfortability helped Porter get acclimated.

“I like his game,” Rajakovic said. “I think he’s a young player with potential and definitely we want to give him a chance. We’re learning a lot about the team, we’re building a new team over here, so we’re going to give him a really good look, so we know what he’s got to do.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis sprained his ankle and left Boston’s Thursday game against the Heat midway through the third quarter. Porzingis went straight to the locker room and the sprain diagnosis was made minutes later, but according to ESPN, Porzingis said postgame he doesn’t think it’s a big deal. “I just went to contest Bam [Adebayo]‘s shot and just landed on his foot and rolled my ankle,” Porzingis said. “Not too bad. Got me pretty good in the moment. But feeling pretty good now.“
The Nets have experienced a handful of recent close losses and Cam Thomas is frustrated by the “same exact stuff” that’s plaguing them during this stretch, NetsDaily’s Lucas Kaplan writes. Thomas hasn’t been able to crack Brooklyn’s closing lineup and said his fourth quarter minutes seem to be “random.” Additionally, when asked whether most of Brooklyn’s issues came on offense or defense, Thomas said to “ask the coach.”
Nic Claxton squared off against Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns on Thursday as the Nets took on the Wolves, holding his own in the matchup and finishing with 16 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. “I think I’m a great big man,” Claxton said via the New York Post’s Bridget Reilly. “Any time I have a matchup like that, one of the quote unquote top centers in the league, I always take it personal to go out and be the best version of myself. I’m an extremely competitive person. I love basketball and I love to compete so I bring that every single night.“

New York Notes: Claxton, Thomas, Randle, McBride

January 13th, 2024 at 9:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets want to keep Nic Claxton and he would prefer to stay in Brooklyn, but things may get complicated when he becomes a free agent this summer, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post (member-only article). The 24-year-old center will be coveted by every team that needs help in the middle, and the Nets could face several free-spending competitors when he hits the market.

“In our business, you never really know what’s going to happen as far as trades, contracts and everything,” Claxton said. “But I’ve been here four years, and Brooklyn has been … huge, played a huge role in my growth, and I’d love to be here. But we’ll see how that shakes out. I’m just taking it day-by-day … and figure all that stuff out later.”

An unidentified agent told Lewis that Claxton might land a four-year, $90MM deal, and other league sources indicated to Lewis that his value could more in line with the five-year, $100MM contract that Jarrett Allen got from Cleveland. Claxton has been a constant source of production, even amid Brooklyn’s recent slide, averaging 12.2 points, a career-high 9.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 28 games.

“That’s just our job,” Claxton said. “It’s our job just to stay in the present and not worry about not worrying about tomorrow, worry about this next game, whatever the next game may be. So just keeping yourself healthy; and everything, the contract, everything will work itself out. But right now, we’ve just got to focus on just trying to win games and then [for] me, just being the best version of myself for my team.”

There’s more from New York:

Thursday’s loss in Paris left Nets coach Jacque Vaughn with more lineup decisions, Lewis adds in a separate story. Cam Thomas helped to lead a fourth quarter comeback and matched Mikal Bridges with a team-high 26 points. Vaughn also praised Thomas’ efforts with boxing out and rebounding, but he hasn’t committed to moving the third-year guard back into the starting lineup. Thomas hasn’t started since December 27, and Vaughn said putting him in the starting unit makes it “pretty small.”
Part of Julius Randle‘s improvement has been an ability to avoid technical fouls, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The Knicks forward, who has picked up just one technical this season, says he’s learned how to control his anger. “It’s more about me personally than it is about anything else,” he said. “Letting me know that as a human being I’m growing and learning how to deal with frustration better.”
The 44 points that Dallas guard Kyrie Irving scored on Thursday marked a rare defensive letdown for the Knicks, per Steve Popper of Newsday. The team takes pride in finding ways to shut down the league’s best scorers. “The name of the game is to put the ball in the hoop, and my job as a defender is to stop that,” Miles McBride said. “If he did his job, I didn’t do mine. I like it kind of as an edge thing — if you think you’ve got to live with those shots, then you’re kind of losing that edge of always being ‘I want to get this stop.’ It’s treating every play like the last play of the game, because you never know what it comes down to.”

New York Notes: Hartenstein, McBride, Nets, Claxton

January 5th, 2024 at 8:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Isaiah Hartenstein continues to impress as the Knicks‘ starting center in place of the injured Mitchell Robinson, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Hartenstein had a monster double-double in Wednesday’s victory over Chicago, recording 10 points, a career-high 20 rebounds, and a career-high-tying five blocks.

“I’m impressed with the way he’s protecting the rim, to be honest,” Julius Randle said after Wednesday’s win. “We’re used to Mitch doing that, covering up for our mistakes when we get beat off the dribble. But he’s a monster doing that. And to go up against (Bulls center Andre) Drummond and get 20 rebounds, it’s no slight. He’s been amazing.”

An unrestricted free agent in the offseason, Katz says Hartenstein is “due for an inevitable raise” on his $9.2MM expiring contract, and it will be difficult for New York to re-sign him, given the team’s commitments to Robinson and several other players. The Knicks will hold his Early Bird rights.

“Right now, I’m a New York Knick,” Hartenstein said of 2024 free agency. “That’s the biggest thing. I feel like, yeah, sometimes you have that in the back of your mind. That’s normal. At the end of the day, I wanna be in New York, but it’s a business.”

Here’s more on the two New York-based teams:

Miles McBride had a shaky first two games as the Knicks‘ new primary backup point guard, but they still view him as a long-term replacement for Immanuel Quickley, sources tell ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. McBride inked a three-year, $13MM extension with New York shortly after the team traded Quickley to Toronto. For what it’s worth, McBride has 12 points in six minutes thus far during Friday’s contest vs. Philadelphia, making all four of his three-pointers.
Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily.com takes an in-depth look at Nic Claxton‘s value and future, writing that Claxton could be worth $20-25MM annually on the open market as a free agent this summer and the Nets would be wise to re-sign him to a long-term contract if that range is indeed accurate. Claxton won’t become extension-eligible prior to free agency.
Brian Lewis of The New York Post revisits the Nets‘ decision to promote Jacque Vaughn to head coach last season instead of hiring Ime Udoka, who eventually landed with Houston in the offseason after being suspended by Boston for all of 2022/23 for sexual misconduct.

Nets Notes: Walker, Lineup, Bridges, Thomas

December 27th, 2023 at 3:32pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nets will be shorthanded on Wednesday against Milwaukee, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Three starters — Cameron Johnson (right knee sprain — injury maintenance), Nic Claxton (left ankle sprain — injury maintenance) and Spencer Dinwiddie (rest) — will be out, while key reserve Dorian Finney-Smith is questionable with left knee soreness.

Brooklyn just defeated Detroit on Tuesday, so it’s the second end of a back-to-back set for the Nets, who will also be without Ben Simmons (nerve impingement in lower back) and Lonnie Walker (left hamstring strain).

Here’s more on the Nets:

While he’s officially listed as out due to the hamstring injury, Walker’s return to action has been delayed by an illness, Lewis writes for The New York Post. “Yeah, Lonnie didn’t join us here in Detroit. The thought was he was going to travel with us. Had a little setback because of a virus,” head coach Jacque Vaughn said before Tuesday’s win. “So he’s been sick. And so really the last, I’m going to say three days, he hasn’t been able to be on court. And so again, he was supposed to be with us on this trip to get a workout in, wasn’t able to do that. So we’ve kind of pushed his availability back. We’ll check on him when (the team) gets home and hopefully he can continue towards working back on the court. But you won’t see him this week.” As Lewis notes, that means Walker will be sidelined on Friday as well, which will mark his 14th straight missed game.
Finney-Smith played the entire fourth quarter on Tuesday in place of Cam Thomas, and Vaughn suggested the veteran forward might return to the starting lineup soon, according to Lewis. “When I reflected back on that, I said I’ll continue to gather the data and the data would speak for itself,” Vaughn said. “I’m more analytically based than I ever have been in my career. So you take this group (with Thomas) that’s started recently, the numbers haven’t been efficient or sufficient enough for us, so there probably will be a change at some point. What that change is, I’ll continue to see what they need and what’s best for the group.“
In another article for The New York Post, Lewis says the Nets need Thomas and Mikal Bridges to get on the same page, as the team hasn’t played well while its top two scorers are on the court together. Brooklyn is just 3-5 when both players score 20-plus points, and the Nets have been outscored by a significant margin when Thomas and Bridges are paired.

Nets Notes: Starting Five, Bridges, DSJ, Sharpe

December 23rd, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Prior to Friday’s game vs. Denver, Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn indicated that he was considering making a change to his starting lineup in order to try to address the team’s recent habit of starting games slowly, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post.

“It is really on me to take a closer look if there is a lineup change that needs to be had to get our group going,” Vaughn said. “Like I told you, I’ve been taking data of this group, how we can get out to better starts.

“… When we dig ourselves a hole, it’s a deep hole, and the mentality of starting the game has to hit first. It’s tough for us to play from behind.”

Vaughn ultimately ended up rolling out his usual five-man group of Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Nic Claxton, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Cam Thomas on Friday.

As Botte notes, in Brooklyn’s previous four losses, the team was outscored 121-95 in first quarters, whereas the Nets played Denver to a 28-28 tie on Friday. However, the starting lineup didn’t contribute much to that outcome — the Nets were trailing 18-7 when Vaughn made his first substitution.

Here’s more on the Nets:

Bridges’ recent offensive slump has been a significant factor in Brooklyn’s struggles, Botte writes in another Post story. During the club’s current five-game losing streak, Bridges has averaged just 13.8 points per game and has shot 30.8% from the floor. “It’s just the way the ebbs and flow of the season go. At the end of this thing, I’m quite sure his averages will be where they’re supposed to be, and he’ll be an impactful player like he’s been the majority of this season,” Vaughn said, adding that Bridges has been strong defensively. “You just go through little patches where the ball isn’t going in for you.”
Dennis Smith Jr. had an immediate impact in his return from a lower back injury that cost him seven games, Botte writes. Smith scored seven points, handed out five assists, and was a plus-nine in 19 minutes during Friday’s loss. “I think his energy and effort are contagious,” teammate Spencer Dinwiddie said. “What he brings on the defensive end is unique to anybody on this roster. He’s an impact player.”
Examining the Nets’ goals for the rest of the season, Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) says the team needs to establish some consistency and get some clarity on which players are keepers and which ones could be trade chips.
After another strong showing against Denver on Friday (13 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks), Day’Ron Sharpe is looking more and more like a player becoming a reliable NBA center, writes Collin Helwig of NetsDaily. Sharpe’s development remains a work in progress, but ideally, Helwig writes, it would follow the template laid out by past and current Nets centers Brook Lopez, Jarrett Allen, and Nic Claxton.

Atlantic Notes: Finney-Smith, Claxton, Sixers’ Bench, Batum

December 19th, 2023 at 5:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dorian Finney-Smith has been replaced in the Nets’ starting lineup by high-scoring Cam Thomas but the veteran forward isn’t pouting about it, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

“Oh, it wasn’t difficult at all, man. If that’s what they think is going to help us be successful, then I’m with it,” Finney-Smith said. “As long as I’m on the (floor), I can get on the court and play, and play my minutes hard. That’s all I can focus on. If (the Nets) win, everybody’s happy.”

Finney-Smith, who is signed through the 2025/26 season with a player option in the final year, is considered a trade candidate who could fetch draft capital if the Nets make him available.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

When HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto asked Nets center Nic Claxton about a Spencer Dinwiddie comment that Claxton could be worth $100MM in free agency, Claxton didn’t shy away from that notion. “I think he’s definitely telling the truth, but I can’t get caught up in all that,” said Claxton, an unrestricted free agent after the season. “I’ve got to go out and continue to do what I do. I know that financially, I’ll be taken care of at the end of the day.” Claxton added that he loves it in Brooklyn and hopes he can work out a deal with the Nets.
The Sixers have been involved in a number of blowouts in recent games and that’s given the end-of-the-bench players a chance to shed their warmups for extended action. They’ve been taking those minutes seriously, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “Obviously, the third unit doesn’t have Joel Embiid,” Mohamed Bamba said. “But we definitely still practice the same plays. We still preach the same spacing and concepts and everything. It’s a matter of — I guess, if you want to say ‘show’ anything — showing the coaches that you know the plays, you know the coverages and you’re really dialed in.”
Sixers forward Nicolas Batum sat out Tuesday’s practice after leaving Monday’s game against Chicago with right hamstring tightness, Mizell tweets. Coach Nick Nurse said Batum will be out for “a couple days.” Marcus Morris and Robert Covington also missed practice due to illness.

And-Ones: Oturu, Top Free Agents, Carter, Tournament

December 3rd, 2023 at 9:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA center Daniel Oturu will soon join Anadolu Efes Istanbul, according to Eurohoops.net. Oturu is averaging 20.9 points and 10.1 rebounds in nine games for Merkezefendi, another Turkish club.

Merkezefendi head coach Zafer Aktas confirmed Oturu’s transfer to the Euroleague club. “This is a proud moment for me and my team,” Aktas said. “This is the fourth or fifth player we have brought to the EuroLeague level in two-and-a-half years.”

Oturu, a high second-round pick in 2020, played a combined 33 NBA games for the Clippers and Raptors. Oturu didn’t play in the NBA last season.

We have more from the international basketball world:

Restricted Sixers free agent Tyrese Maxey tops Hoopshype’s Yossi Gozlan’s list of players who are due for substantial raises. Maxey appears to be in line for a five-year maximum-salary contract in the 2024 offseason. Unrestricted free-agents-to-be OG Anunoby and Nic Claxton rank second and third, respectively, in Gozlan’s top 15 list.
LeBron James’ business partner, Maverick Carter, was a client of a bookie who has pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from an illegal gambling operation, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon and Jovan Buha report. Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen and former Major League Baseball All-Star Yasiel Puig were also clients of the bookie, Wayne Nix, who pleaded guilty to participating in a large off-shore betting ring. Carter was accused, according to court filings reviewed by The Athletic, of providing false statements to investigators but was allowed to clarify those statements and was not charged.
In a roundtable discussion, ESPN’s Insiders takes a look at the in-season tournament, making predictions about the championship matchup, discussing how the inaugural tournament has worked so far, and addressing what changes might be needed in the future.

Eastern Rumors: Nets, Quickley, Hawks, Hayward, Martin

November 29th, 2023 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Executives around the NBA continue to monitor Nets forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale, who were considered trade candidates during the offseason, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Rival executives believe Brooklyn will seek the equivalent of two first-round picks for Finney-Smith, though they hope that cost will drop closer to the deadline, according to Scotto, who adds that some execs who spoke to HoopsHype think the Nets would want a protected first-round pick for O’Neale. Finney-Smith still has multiple years left on his contract, while O’Neale is on an expiring deal.

Teams are also eyeing Nic Claxton and are curious to see whether Brooklyn is willing to roll the dice on re-signing him as an unrestricted free agent next summer, since he won’t become extension-eligible before then. For now, the Nets view Claxton as part of their core and wouldn’t be inclined to move him unless they get an offer that blows them away, Scotto explains.

Finally, some NBA executives think that veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie might be available on the trade market later this season — and they think he’d have some value. “Dinwiddie can help a team and make big shots,” one exec told Scotto.

Scotto has more trade rumors and notes from around the Eastern Conference. Let’s dive in…

Rival teams are keeping an eye on whether or not the Knicks will make Immanuel Quickley available, according to Scotto, who says the guard was seeking about $25MM per year on a rookie scale extension before the season, while New York offered approximately $18MM annually. “I think Quickley might be New York’s best trade asset besides Jalen Brunson,” one league executive told HoopsHype.
The Hawks still have some trade interest in Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, says Scotto. De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela were mentioned during the offseason as possible trade candidates for Atlanta and Scotto believes one or both players could be available again before February’s deadline. However, the Mavericks‘ interest in Capela has diminished due to the strong play of rookie Dereck Lively, Scotto notes.
Multiple “playoff-caliber” teams have been in touch with the Hornets to gauge the potential availability of veteran forward Gordon Hayward, per Scotto.
Scotto also reports that teams have expressed some exploratory interest in Sixers wing KJ Martin, who was part of the James Harden blockbuster earlier this month. Martin has played a limited role in Philadelphia but is coming off a solid year in Houston.

New York Notes: Brunson, Quickley, Randle, Robinson, Claxton, Thomas

November 27th, 2023 at 5:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jalen Brunson and Immanuel Quickley have built chemistry during their second season together in the Knicks’ backcourt, as Fred Katz of The Athletic details. It’s especially notable in the screening Quickley does to create space for Brunson.

Whether they’ll remain together for the long haul remains to be seen. Quickley and the Knicks front office failed to reach a rookie scale extension agreement last month, which means Quickley will be a restricted free agent next summer.

We have more on the New York clubs:

Julius Randle had a 28-point game against the Suns on Sunday but his inconsistent play is a big reason for the Knicks’ mediocre start, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post opines. Randle, the team’s highest-salaried player at $28.2MM this season, is shooting 38.7% from the field and 69.2% from the free throw line.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson took a hard fall against Phoenix on Sunday after he elevated for an offensive rebound during the third quarter. However, he’s apparently OK. Robinson went through practice on Monday, according to coach Tom Thibodeau, Katz tweets. Robinson was examined by the team’s trainers Sunday night.
Nets center Nic Claxton, who aggravated a left ankle injury that has nagged him this season, is listed as questionable to play against Toronto on Tuesday, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Cam Thomas, who is averaging 26.9 points, is listed as doubtful. He hasn’t played since Nov. 8 due to a left ankle sprain.