As they start the rebuilding course of, the Nets made certain to hold onto middle Nic Claxton, whom they consider may finally turn into the NBA’s greatest defender, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Publish. Earlier than reaching free company, Claxton agreed to a four-year deal that comprises $96MM in assured cash. He’ll be a part of the roster basis that Brooklyn will attempt to construct round.
“He was our precedence this summer time,” new head coach Jordi Fernandez stated. “He’s a giant a part of what we’re making an attempt to do, clearly age-wise and the way he’s progressed all these years. And we — me personally, and the group — consider that he’s nonetheless getting significantly better. [He can win] Defensive Participant of the 12 months. He’s a superb playmaker, he might be even a greater playmaker. We’re enthusiastic about his improvement. We’re excited that he’s a part of the group for a very long time.”
Claxton’s manufacturing has steadily elevated since he was chosen with the thirty first choose within the 2019 draft. He averaged a career-high 9.9 rebounds in 71 video games final season, together with 11.8 factors and a couple of.1 blocks. He offers the Nets a powerful inside presence on each ends of the court docket as they attempt to reshape the remainder of the roster right into a contending group.
“It’s nice to have homegrown expertise right here,” basic supervisor Sean Marks stated. “Nic matches in a spread [of] completely different pathways we need to go. He’s younger, he’s nonetheless scratching the floor right here, and I simply love his total method to him wanting increasingly more and extra improvement. So now, with a number of the modifications to our roster, I believe we’ll see much more from Nic as we transfer ahead.”
There’s extra on the Nets:
- Dariq Whitehead admitted he had some “rust” throughout Friday’s Summer season League opener, however he felt good being again on the court docket after present process three surgical procedures in 18 months, Lewis states in a separate story. The twenty second choose within the 2023 draft was restricted to 2 NBA video games and 4 G League contests final season, however he’s feeling absolutely wholesome for the primary time since highschool. “Simply with the ability to transfer laterally, simply with the ability to beat somebody to the spot, I haven’t been ready to try this in a very long time. So I’m simply taking that as a stepping stone for me simply with the ability to try this. It feels so good simply to be on the market and be capable of transfer my ft side-to-side laterally once more,” Whitehead stated. “So simply proceed to take child steps and knock the rust off and finally get going.”
- Trendon Watford is completely happy to have some safety after accepting a one-year qualifying supply this week, Lewis provides in one other piece. Twelve months in the past, Watford was looking for an NBA job after being waived by Portland. He signed with the Nets in August and appeared in 63 video games, taking part in his greatest basketball late within the season when interim coach Kevin Ollie leaned closely on the group’s youthful gamers. Watford reached double figures in scoring in eight of Brooklyn’s closing 11 video games.
- In a subscriber-only story, Lewis seems to be at how Fernandez is already making an impression on his new group.
