It was reported on Monday that the possibility of James Harden parting ways with Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets has become a distinct possibility. As it turns out, the Nets could be looking to shake up their roster ahead of the trade deadline with new reports now emerging about the team potentially parting ways with one of its key assets.
ESPN's NBA insider Brian Windhorst recently stated on his Hoop Collective podcast that the Nets are toying with the possibility of placing starting center Nic Claxton on the trade block:
“You mentioned Day'Ron Sharpe, so 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,” Windhorst said (h/t Dan Favale of Bleacher Report). “In other words, maybe thinking about trading him. When I say this, I know I'll get aggregated for saying it but I know this would surprise some people because they'd say, ‘This guy is really valuable defensively. He's very active. He's been out recently with a hamstring injury, but he's a free agent (this offseason).'”
Despite rumors circling about a potential Harden exit, it just feels like this is not something that is going to materialize in the coming weeks. Moving on from Claxton, however, sounds like a more feasible scenario for the Nets. At just 22 years old, the 6-foot-11 center still has a lot of basketball ahead of him and at this point in his career, he's already proven that he has a ton of upside. Brooklyn might want to cash in on Claxton now with the former Georgia standout heading into free agency in the summer.
Moreover, Claxton doesn't exactly fall in line with the Nets' current timeline. If Brooklyn is able to find a trade partner, then the squad could very well get another veteran piece in exchange for the young rising star—one that could help them achieve their goal of winning a championship this season.
The trade deadline is now just a couple of weeks away and it does sound like the Nets could be joining in on the fun.
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