Nic Claxton

Nets Notes: Claxton, Simmons, Thomas, Lawson

October 22nd, 2024 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixth-year center Nic Claxton will enter the 2024/25 season as the Nets‘ longest-tenured player. Although he’s still just 25 years old, he’s ready to take on the challenge of being a veteran leader on a Brooklyn roster that features 10 players younger than him, as Peter Botte of The New York Post writes.

“I had a lot of really good vets since I’ve been in the league, and I’ve been able to soak up a lot of knowledge from a lot of different players (and) coaches,” Claxton said on Monday. “DeAndre Jordan, Blake (Griffin), KD (Kevin Durant), Kyrie (Irving), James (Harden), Caris (LeVert), It’s so many dudes and I’m a sponge. I’m always just listening, and I remember things. So just using what I’ve learned from those guys and from all the things that I’ve seen out there on the court, helping others, and also just taking my game to another level.”

Claxton missed the entire preseason due to a hamstring injury, but he went through a full practice on Monday and said he’ll be “ready to go” for the season opener in Atlanta on Wednesday, according to Botte. Head coach Jordi Fernandez declined to say whether or not his starting center will be on a minutes restriction to open the season.

“That’s a good question and I’m not answering for obvious reasons because I’m not giving out secrets, but he’s doing very well,” Fernandez said. “We’re very happy with where he’s at physically right now. Health is the No. 1 priority for us and he’s done a really good job.”

Here’s more on Claxton and the Nets:

After signing a four-year, $97MM contract as a free agent in July, Claxton said he feels like a “weight has been lifted” from his shoulders entering this fall, per Botte. “It’s my first time I feel like I’m not worried about the contract, I’m not worrying that I need to stay healthy, I just need to go out here and just have fun playing the game of basketball,” Claxton said. “I just wanna feel like a kid again and just enjoy this with a younger group.”
The Nets’ front office is trying to tank, their new head coach is looking to build a winning culture, and many of their players will enter the year with something to prove, Brian Lewis writes for the New York Post (subscription required) in a preview of Brooklyn’s season. Figuring out who will and won’t be able to achieve those seemingly contradictory goals will go a long way toward determining what sort of year it will be in Brooklyn, as Lewis details.
Lewis also published a Nets season preview for non-subscribers of The Post, posing five burning questions for the team, including whether Ben Simmons can stay healthy and whether Cam Thomas can establish himself as a franchise cornerstone. Lewis’ preview includes several other predictions for the season and suggests the most important decision Brooklyn makes in 2024/25 will be determining who to trade — and when.
Former Mavericks guard A.J. Lawson, who was waived by Dallas (twice) ahead of the regular season, is expected to join the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, for the start of the 2024/25 campaign, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Lawson appeared in a total of 56 NBA games for the Mavericks during his two seasons with the team, including 42 in 2023/24. He averaged 3.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per contest and posted a shooting line of .457/.307/.548 at the NBA level.
Day’Ron Sharpe (hamstring), Trendon Watford (hamstring), and Bojan Bogdanovic (foot) are expected to be the only Nets players not available for the regular season opener on Wednesday, tweets Lewis. Everyone else should be available.
In case you missed it, three Nets – Thomas, Sharpe, and Ziaire Williams – were among the 13 players eligible for rookie scale extensions who didn’t sign new contracts ahead of Monday’s deadline and are now on track for free agency in 2025.

Nets Notes: Claxton, Finney-Smith, Johnson, Milton, Fernandez

October 19th, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Several Nets players sat out Friday’s preseason finale, but the team expects Nic Claxton and Dorian Finney-Smith to be ready when the season tips off Wednesday in Atlanta, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Claxton has been dealing with hamstring soreness, and coach Jordi Fernandez has been careful not to overextend him throughout the preseason.

“Nic is close. We’re still aiming for the first game of the season,” Fernandez said. “He’s done a good job. He’s working hard. So we expect him to play the season opener.”

Finney-Smith was held out after landing on his back on a collision in Wednesday’s game, but his coach doesn’t believe it will affect his status for opening night.

“Hard fall. Nothing serious. Just precaution,” Fernandez said. “He’s one of the guys that he still would go and run through the wall, and you’ve got to tell him to rest because his body is sore.”

Day’Ron Sharpe remains sidelined with a strained left hamstring and Bojan Bogdanovic is still recovering from offseason surgeries on his left foot and wrist. They both missed the entire preseason, and Lewis says neither one is close to returning.

There’s more from Brooklyn:

Cameron Johnson displayed his versatility this week, handing out six assists while running the offense out of the high post in Wednesday’s game and then scoring 32 points in 32 minutes on Friday, Lewis adds in the same piece. “I expect to do it all season,” Johnson said. “I think interchangeability is what we’re looking for.”
The Nets need to find a reliable backup point guard for nights when Dennis Schröder and Ben Simmons aren’t both available, Lewis states in a separate story. One option is Shake Milton, who was acquired from New York in the Mikal Bridges trade and has been given a chance to run the offense during the preseason. “Not really an adjustment at all,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been doing that since I got in the league, being on the ball and off the ball, so being able to do whatever the team needs me to do is honestly more important. That’s just how you’re able to create opportunities, whether it’s on the ball and creating for myself or others or off the ball, getting aggressive, just whatever needs to be done.”
Fernandez is focused on building relationships in his first season as an NBA head coach. He explains his philosophy to Lewis in another piece for the New York Post.

Nets Notes: Schröder, Simmons, Claxton, Williams, Hayes, Sharpe, Watford

October 5th, 2024 at 9:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dennis Schröder and Ben Simmons will both be in the starting lineup Tuesday when the Nets open the preseason against the Clippers, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Much of the training camp discussion has been focused on which player will be used as the starting point guard, but coach Jordi Fernandez has decided to try them together.

“It’s something that it gives us a different look right now, playing with size, but not a true big and a lot of play-making and shooting,” Fernandez explained. “So it’s going to be fun. It’s going to very fun to give it a look.”

Schröder wanted to be used in tandem with Simmons after being acquired from Toronto in February, but Simmons’ back issues limited them to 16 total minutes together in three games. Schröder believes they have skills that complement each other.

“He wasn’t healthy the last couple of years, but when he’s healthy, we know what he can do,” Schröder said. “He’s an All-Star-type player, so he’s going to push the ball. (He’s) unselfish. On the defensive end, he’s playing with grit. And that’s what we need here. So, a lot of speed. He can bring it up, I go to the corner. If not, me and him in pick-and-roll, him setting the screen or me setting the screen. I think we can do a lot of things. And today we worked on it, and we try to keep building forward, going forward, try to build. Yeah, we’re going to keep working.”

There’s more on the Nets:

Nic Claxton will be held out of the preseason opener due to hamstring soreness, according to Bridget Reilly of The New York Post. Fernandez called the move precautionary, adding that Claxton also didn’t participate in a scrimmage at Thursday’s practice. “We’re not concerned about it,” he said. “We’re just more aiming [for] the first game of the season and doing what we believe is best just for him to be ready there.”
Former lottery picks Ziaire Williams and Killian Hayes have a chance to revive their careers after being let go by their original teams, Reilly notes in a separate story. Williams was traded to Brooklyn in July after three years in Memphis, and Hayes was signed last month after Detroit waived him in February. “A fresh start is good, but at the end of the day, you need consistency because you cannot keep having fresh starts,” Fernandez said. “You cannot say, ‘Oh, I’m done here. I’ll go somewhere else.’ Sometimes, when you get hit in the mouth, it’s good to recover and then start and look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘What did I do wrong that I can fix myself?’”
Day’Ron Sharpe and Trendon Watford remained in Brooklyn to be evaluated for injuries rather than accompanying the team to San Diego for training camp, Lewis tweets. Updates on both players are expected soon.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Batum, Dolan, Raptors, Nets

September 10th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers couldn’t have asked for a much better outcome after entering the summer armed with cap space than coming away with free agents like Paul George, Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, and Reggie Jackson in addition to re-signing Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre, KJ Martin, and Kyle Lowry.

Still, as Tim Bontemps of ESPN observed on the latest Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), there was one free agent the 76ers had hoped to re-sign who ended up leaving Philadelphia after seriously considering the possibility of a new deal with the team.

“The one thing you could say that’s a disappointment for the Sixers from the way everything went is they were really close to getting (Nicolas) Batum back,” Bontemps said. “He was going back and forth – at least from my understanding – (between) going back to Philly or going back to the team that traded him, the Clippers. I think family played a part in him going back to the Clippers. He was pretty comfortable out in L.A.”

Although the Sixers added Guerschon Yabusele late in free agency, there’s no obvious starting power forward on the roster, Bontemps notes, so a player like George, Martin, or Oubre will likely slot in as a somewhat undersized four.

“Obviously, (Batum) slotted in perfectly for them as a power forward,” Bontemps said. “… He was a critical piece for them last year. If he’s on the roster, things look a lot different.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), Knicks owner James Dolan continues to express his discontent with the NBA’s league office, announcing in a letter to his fellow team owners that he plans to vote against the league’s proposed operating budget for 2024/25, as well as the election of a new Board of Governors chair. Those votes will be conducted on Tuesday in New York. Dolan, who has made a habit of criticizing the NBA and commissioner Adam Silver, is citing a lack of transparency as the reason for his “no” votes, Wojnarowski adds.
Within a mailbag for The Athletic, Eric Koreen tackles questions about why the Raptors‘ front office is no longer looked up on as favorably as it once was, why Bruce Brown hasn’t been traded yet, and whether the team overpaid to retain Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes, among other topics. Koreen acknowledges that Quickley’s five-year, $162.5MM contract (which includes another $12.5MM in incentives) is based on projection and comes with real risk, but says he doesn’t understand criticism of the deal for the five-year max deal for Barnes, who won a Rookie of the Year award and made an All-Star team in his first three NBA seasons.
C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required) considers whether Nic Claxton and Cam Thomas, among other Nets, will see their play-making responsibilities expand under new head coach Jordi Fernandez, based on how Fernandez’s previous offenses in Denver and Sacramento operated.

Nets Notes: Claxton, Whitehead, Watford, Fernandez

July 13th, 2024 at 6:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

As they begin the rebuilding process, the Nets made sure to hang onto center Nic Claxton, whom they believe could eventually become the NBA’s best defender, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Before reaching free agency, Claxton agreed to a four-year deal that contains $97MM in guaranteed money. He’ll be part of the roster foundation that Brooklyn will try to build around.

“He was our priority this summer,” new head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do, obviously age-wise and how he’s progressed all these years. And we — me personally, and the organization — believe that he’s still getting much better. [He can win] Defensive Player of the Year. He’s a good play-maker, he can be even a better play-maker. We’re excited about his development. We’re excited that he’s part of the organization for a long time.”

Claxton’s production has steadily increased since he was selected with the 31st pick in the 2019 draft. He averaged a career-high 9.9 rebounds in 71 games last season, along with 11.8 points and 2.1 blocks. He gives the Nets a strong interior presence on both ends of the court as they try to reshape the rest of the roster into a contender.

“It’s great to have homegrown talent here,” general manager Sean Marks said. “Nic fits in a variety [of] different pathways we want to go. He’s young, he’s still scratching the surface here, and I just love his overall approach to him wanting more and more and more development. So now, with some of the changes to our roster, I think we’ll see even more from Nic as we move forward.”

There’s more on the Nets:

Dariq Whitehead admitted he had some “rust” during Friday’s Summer League opener, but he felt good being back on the court after undergoing three surgeries in 18 months, Lewis states in a separate story. The 22nd pick in the 2023 draft was limited to two NBA games and four G League contests last season, but he’s feeling fully healthy for the first time since high school. “Just being able to move laterally, just being able to beat someone to the spot, I haven’t been able to do that in a long time. So I’m just taking that as a stepping stone for me just being able to do that. It feels so good just to be out there and be able to move my feet side-to-side laterally again,” Whitehead said. “So just continue to take baby steps and knock the rust off and eventually get going.”
Trendon Watford is happy to have some security after accepting a one-year qualifying offer this week, Lewis adds in another piece. Twelve months ago, Watford was searching for an NBA job after being waived by Portland. He signed with the Nets in August and appeared in 63 games, playing his best basketball late in the season when interim coach Kevin Ollie leaned heavily on the team’s younger players. Watford reached double figures in scoring in eight of Brooklyn’s final 11 games.
In a subscriber-only story, Lewis looks at how Fernandez is already making an impact on his new team.

Contract Details: George, Martin, Wiseman, Isaac, Hield, More

July 8th, 2024 at 6:49am CST by Luke Adams

Following the end of the July moratorium on Saturday, teams wasted no time in officially finalizing many of the contracts they’d agreed to up until that point.

Now that those contracts have been completed, we have the official details on many of them. Here, via several reporters – including Keith Smith of Spotrac, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, and cap expert Yossi Gozlan – as well as our own sources, are some of those notable details:

Players with trade kickers:

Lakers forward LeBron James (15%), Knicks forward OG Anunoby (15%), Sixers forward Paul George (15%), Sixers forward Caleb Martin (15%), Mavericks sharpshooter Klay Thompson (15%), and Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (5%) received trade kickers on their new free agent deals, while Celtics guard Derrick White (15%) got one on his contract extension.

As an aside, James’ exact starting salary in 2024/25 is $48,728,845, which is $1,258,873 below the maximum he could have earned.

Players who waived their right to veto a trade:

A player who re-signs with his team on a one-year contract (or two-year contract with a second-year option) is typically awarded the right to veto a trade, but has the option to waive that option.

Heat center Thomas Bryant, Rockets guard Aaron Holiday, Raptors wing Garrett Temple, and Magic teammates Gary Harris and Moritz Wagner all surrendered their right to veto a trade in 2024/25 and could be moved freely.

Unlikely incentives:

Nets center Nic Claxton ($97MM base + $3MM incentives), Pacers forward Obi Toppin ($58MM +$2MM), Suns forward Royce O’Neale ($42MM +$2MM), and Sixers forward Martin ($35,040,704 + $5,256,106) are among the players whose contracts include unlikely bonuses that would boost the total guaranteed salary if those incentives are reached.

As cap expert Albert Nahmad observes, the structure of Martin’s contract helped the 76ers maximize their cap room, since his unlikely incentives don’t count toward the cap once he signs.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Martin’s “unlikely” incentives are easier to earn than a typical player’s incentives would be — I don’t expect them to be for making an All-Star team or anything like that. An incentive is considered unlikely for cap purposes if the player wouldn’t have met the criteria the year before. For example, as Nahmad suggests, a bonus related to Martin making 24 or more starts would be considered unlikely because he started 23 games last season. Martin’s bonuses – considered “unlikely” for cap purposes but perhaps “likely” to be earned in reality – could have served as a way to strengthen the Sixers’ offer without sacrificing that extra cap room.

It’s also worth noting that a player’s unlikely incentives can’t exceed 15% of his guaranteed base salary, and Martin’s $5,256,106 in incentives represent exactly 15% of his overall $35,040,704 salary.

Partial or non-guarantees and options:

James Wiseman‘s two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Pacers is guaranteed for $500K in year one, with a team option for 2025/26. That team option would be guaranteed for $569,041 if exercised (ie. the same percentage as his first-year salary).

Luka Garza got a similarly structured two-year, minimum-salary deal with the Timberwolves, except his first year is fully guaranteed prior to his second-year team option. That 2025/26 option would be guaranteed if picked up.

As previously reported, Isaiah Hartenstein‘s three-year, $87MM deal with the Thunder includes a team option for 2026/27. It’s worth $28.5MM, with $58.5MM in guaranteed money across the first two seasons.

Magic teammates Harris ($7.5MM) and Wagner ($11MM) each have second-year team options on their two-year deals.

The Rockets used their full bi-annual exception to give Holiday a two-year deal worth $9,569,400 that includes a second-year team option ($4,901,400).

Neemias Queta‘s three-year, minimum-salary contract with the Celtics is fully guaranteed in year one with a partial guarantee of exactly 50% ($1,174,789 of $2,349,578) in year two, plus a third-year team option for 2026/27. The third-year option ($2,667,944) would be guaranteed for 50% ($1,333,972) if exercised. Since his minimum deal covers more than two years, a team wouldn’t be able to acquire Queta via the minimum salary exception if he’s traded down the road.

Jonathan Isaac‘s new long-term deal with the Magic is partially guaranteed ($8MM of $14MM) in 2026/27, with non-guaranteed salaries of $14.5MM in 2027/28 and $15MM in 2028/29. However, each of those salaries would become fully guaranteed if Isaac plays at least 52 games in the prior season. For instance, if Isaac were to appear in 54 games in 2026/27, his $14.5MM salary for ’27/28 would be fully guaranteed.

Sign-and-trade contracts:

Interestingly, Kyle Anderson‘s and Buddy Hield‘s new contracts with the Warriors have the exact same salaries for the first three seasons: $8,780,488, $9,219,512, and $9,658,536. Anderson’s three-year deal is fully guaranteed for the first two years and non-guaranteed in year three.

As for Hield, his four-year contract is fully guaranteed for the first two years, with a partial guarantee of $3MM for year three. His fourth year is a $10,097,560 player option that would be partially guaranteed for $3,136,364 if exercised.

Klay Thompson’s three-year contract with the Mavericks comes in at exactly $50MM, as reported — it starts at $15,873,016 and features 5% annual raises.

Jonas Valanciunas‘ three-year contract with the Wizards is worth $30,295,000 in total, beginning at $9.9MM (which is the amount of the trade exception generated for the Pelicans). It’s fully guaranteed for the first two seasons and non-guaranteed in year three.

Cody Zeller got a three-year, $11,025,000 deal in the sign-and-trade that sent him from New Orleans to the Hawks. The first year is guaranteed for $3.5MM, with two non-guaranteed seasons after that.

Finally, as part of the Mikal Bridges trade, new Nets guard Shake Milton got a three-year, $9,162,405 contract that has a guaranteed first-year salary of $2,875,000, with two non-guaranteed years after that ($3MM in 2025/26 and $3,287,406 in ’26/27). His teammate Mamadi Diakite, who was also sent to Brooklyn in the trade, had his $2,273,252 salary partially guaranteed for $1,392,150.

Milton’s $2,875,000 salary, Diakite’s $1,392,150 partial guarantee, and Bojan Bogdanovic‘s $19,032,850 salary add up to $23.3MM, which is equivalent to Bridges’ salary — the exact amount of outgoing salary the Knicks needed to send to avoid being hard-capped at the first tax apron.

Nets Re-Sign Nic Claxton On Four-Year Deal

July 6th, 2024 at 12:14pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: The Nets have officially re-signed Claxton, the team announced today in a press release.

“We are thrilled to have Nic remain in Brooklyn as a core player for our team going forward,” general manager Sean Marks said in a statement. “Nic has made strides in his game in each of his first five seasons, developing into one of the top defenders in the league. With his outstanding work ethic and dedication, we know that Nic will continue to be relentless in his efforts to maximize his talents and expand his game. Off the court, Nic and his family have embraced being a part of the Brooklyn community and we look forward to the impact he will continue to have on our borough.”

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), Claxton’s contract will start at $27.6MM and descend from there. It’ll feature $97MM in guaranteed money, with another $3MM in potential bonuses.

JUNE 26: Free agent center Nic Claxton intends to sign a four-year, $100MM contract to remain with the Nets, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), the deal will include $96MM in guaranteed money. The signing can be made official after the moratorium period ends on July 6.

Claxton, the 31st overall pick in the 2019 draft, spent his first three seasons in Brooklyn in a modest reserve role before signing a two-year contract worth $17.25MM (plus incentives) in 2022. He has since been the Nets’ full-time starting center, averaging 12.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 2.0 assists per game with a .667 FG% in 147 games over the past two seasons (29.8 MPG), earning himself a significantly larger payday.

While a $25MM annual salary for Claxton may raise eyebrows, the 25-year-old has established himself as a real defensive asset — he earned Defensive Player of the Year votes in 2023 and was referred to as a future Defensive Player of the Year by his new head coach, Jordi Fernandez. He’s also arguably the top free agent center on the market this summer, ahead of bigs like Isaiah Hartenstein and Jonas Valanciunas.

Jarrett Allen, who signed a five-year, $100MM deal with the Cavaliers in 2021, was presumably a point of reference for Claxton. At the time Allen received that contract, his NBA résumé was similar to Claxton’s and his $20MM annual average salary represented just under 18% of the 2021/22 cap. A $25MM annual salary for Claxton will come in at nearly the exact same percentage of the ’24/25 cap.

The Pelicans and other teams around the NBA were said to have interest in Claxton as a potential sign-and-trade target or cap-room signing, but a return to Brooklyn has always been the most likely outcome, even after the team seemingly pivoted to a rebuild by agreeing to trade Mikal Bridges. A report earlier today indicated that the Nets were still focused on retaining their starting center.

Claxton had been the No. 8 player on our list of 2024’s top 50 free agents. He’s the fourth player in the top 10 of that list to reach a contract agreement during the new exclusive negotiating window allowing teams to talk to their own free agents between the end of the NBA Finals and June 30.

Free Agent Rumors: KCP, George, Thompson, Bridges, More

June 28th, 2024 at 6:58am CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets swingman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who is declining his 2024/25 player option and becoming an unrestricted free agent, appears more likely than not to switch teams this offseason, Marc Stein writes at Substack, citing league sources.

Stein, who has previously mentioned the Sixers and Magic as potential suitors for Caldwell-Pope, once again names them as teams who are well-positioned to make runs at the 31-year-old if they so choose, noting that Denver has luxury tax and apron concerns to consider. The veteran wing is considered to be a “strong possibility” for Orlando, per Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

According to Stein, the Mavericks are another potential suitor to watch for Caldwell-Pope, with league sources saying there’s mutual interest between the two sides. However, Dallas is operating over the cap and would need to make a sign-and-trade deal to make a competitive contract offer to Caldwell-Pope. There’s a sense that the Nuggets won’t have interest in accommodating a sign-and-trade with a conference rival, Stein writes, even if it means losing their starting shooting guard for nothing.

Here are a few more free agent rumors and notes from around the NBA:

Within a look at Paul George‘s potential free agency, Amick and Slater of The Athletic confirm that the Warriors‘ interest in the Clippers star is “legitimate” if he decides to go the opt-in-and-trade route instead of declining his 2024/25 player option. The Nuggets also recently had interest in George in that scenario, but don’t appear prepared to pursue a deal that would see them give up Michael Porter Jr. and “significant” draft capital, per The Athletic’s duo. For what it’s worth, Denver only has one tradable future first-round pick.
Despite a report from their colleague Shams Charania indicating that the Sixers‘ interest in pursuing George has “waned,” Amick and Slater cite a source who advises not to rule out Philadelphia entirely. The 76ers could offer George a maximum-salary deal using their cap room if he reaches the open market.
The Sixers also have interest in Klay Thompson, who continues to have little contact with the Warriors as he nears free agency, according to Amick and Slater, who add that the Nuggets also have Thompson on their list of potential replacements if they lose Caldwell-Pope. It’s hard to see how Denver, whose team salary is right at the luxury tax line, could make Thompson a strong offer unless more cost-cutting moves are made.
Discussing unrestricted free agent forward Miles Bridges, Hornets head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson confirmed reporting that has suggested the team wants to re-sign Bridges. “I’ve made it very clear to Miles that we want him to remain as a Hornet,” Peterson said (story via Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer).
Isaiah Hartenstein and Nic Claxton top John Hollinger’s list of free agent centers at The Athletic by a wide margin over the rest of the class, with Hollinger’s BORD$ formula favoring Hartenstein. Claxton already has a four-year deal lined up to remain in Brooklyn, making Hartenstein the clear top option on the open market.

Nets Notes: Johnson, Finney-Smith, Sharpe, Claxton, Bridges

June 26th, 2024 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

Mikal Bridges was the first player the Nets agreed to trade this offseason, but he seems unlikely to be the last. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dennis Schröder, Ben Simmons, Day’Ron Sharpe, and newcomer Bojan Bogdanovic are among the potential trade candidates to keep an eye on Brooklyn going forward.

Johnson, in particular, could appeal to teams in the market for shooting help, Scotto notes. The former Sun has made 39.2% of his career-three point attempts and is under contract for three more seasons on a deal that declines to $22.5MM in 2024/25 and to $20.5MM in ’25/26 before returning to $22.5MM in ’26/27.

Here’s more on the Nets:

The package Brooklyn is receiving for Bridges doesn’t include any 2024 draft picks, but the Nets still believe they’ll be able to move into the 20s on Wednesday night if there’s a specific player they like in the range, according to Scotto, who points to Finney-Smith as a player who may be dangled in that scenario.
Sharpe has drawn trade interest from teams around the league beyond just the Grizzlies. Executives who spoke to Scotto believe Brooklyn could demand multiple second-round picks in exchange for the young big man, who is entering the final year of his rookie scale contract.
The Nets’ desire to re-sign free agent center Nic Claxton doesn’t appear to have diminished, according to Scotto, who hears from sources that the team wants to hang onto the big man going forward. The Pelicans – who were among the teams pursuing Bridges, sources tell HoopsHype – have “several admirers” of Claxton in their front office and are one of the clubs curious to see if he might become available via sign-and-trade, Scotto adds.
While there were conflicting reports on Tuesday about whether Bridges explicitly requested a trade to the Knicks, Brian Lewis of The New York Post hears that the forward at least “quietly angled” to get to Brooklyn’s cross-town rivals. The deal – along with the Nets’ trade to regain control of their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks – has “turbocharged” the organization’s rebuild, Lewis writes.

New York Notes: Nets, Thomas, Claxton, Knicks, Luxury Tax

June 23rd, 2024 at 3:14pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Nets find themselves in a bit of a pickle when it comes to deciding how to handle guard Cam Thomas‘ future with the club, says Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

Thomas enjoyed a breakout season for the 32-50 Nets in 2023/24. His scoring improved markedly, from 10.6 points per game in 2022/23 to 22.5 PPG in ’23/24. The 6’4″ guard is owed $4MM on an expiring deal in 2024/25, but Brooklyn could ink him to a rookie scale extension this summer. Brooklyn could also take a wait-and-see approach to Thomas, allow him to hit restricted free agency next summer and then make a determination on how much he’s worth to them.

Lewis notes that Thomas also improved significantly as a facilitator, especially out of the pick-and-roll, though his pick-and-roll defense on the other end is somewhat troubling. He averaged 3.6 assists a game to close out the year after Kevin Ollie took over for Jacque Vaughn as interim head coach. He had averaged just 1.4 APG in his first two pro seasons.

“Just knowing that I could be doubled a lot more, coming off screens and stuff, or even in one-on-one situations, reading where the double will come from, seeing where teams double me, and the way teams double me,” Thomas said. “It’ll be reading, watching film and seeing where I can make quicker reads.”

There’s more out of the Big Apple:

The Nets want to re-sign free agent center Nic Claxton, but are hoping to not overpay him. In a separate piece, Lewis unpacks what is coloring Brooklyn’s thinking with regards to the big man’s next contract. Given that Claxton is probably the best center on the free agent market, bidding could get costly in a hurry.
Following a solid 50-32 finish in 2023/24 and another second-round appearance in the playoffs, the Knicks seem to be on the verge of finally returning to fringe contender status. Fred Katz of The Athletic unpacks some intriguing hypothetical trades, submitted by readers, that could possibly help New York reach the next level.
To truly contend, the Knicks will need to be open to paying the luxury tax going forward, argues Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. With Leon Rose at the helm of their front office over the past four seasons, the Knicks have yet to pay the tax. This summer, retaining 3-and-D forward OG Anunoby and starting center Isaiah Hartenstein, plus bringing back sharpshooting stretch four Bojan Bogdanovic, could move the team close to the NBA’s second luxury tax apron.

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