Nets prioritize re-signing Nic Claxton in free agency

The Brooklyn Nets have an intriguing summer ahead of them, but they could take care of an apparent priority sooner rather than later. Brooklyn big man Nic Claxton is a pending unrestricted free agent, making signing him to an extension a top and urgent priority for his team, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post .

“It was always a foregone conclusion that Nic Claxton would become an unrestricted free agent. But he’s not sure he’ll ever leave Brooklyn. It may never hit the open market. Increasingly the perception around the NBA is that Claxton will re-sign with the Nets. That could happen before anyone else has a chance to officially bid, with Brooklyn having an exclusive negotiating window with their center that begins the day after the NBA Finals end.”

It’s not a stretch to think that many other teams already have plans to go after Claxton in the upcoming free agency period. The Nets have an exclusive window of time to be the only team talking about a new contract with Claxton, but after 6 p.m. on June 30, other clubs can reach out and discuss business with the former Georgia Bulldogs star.

Nic Claxton was huge for the Nets

Claxton was a bright spot in the Nets’ disappointing 2023-24 NBA season. He averaged 11.8 points on 62.9 percent shooting from the field, 9.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.1 blocks in 71 games. Although Claxton was only sixth this season in scoring average among Nets players, he led the team with an offensive rating of 124. He also finished with a 111 defensive rating – the best among Brooklyn players with regular minutes . On top of all that, Claxton has led the Nets in win shares in each of the past two seasons; posted 9.2 win shares in the 2022-23 NBA season and 6.7 in the 2023-24 campaign.

With his work in the NBA, especially over the last two seasons, Claxton is seen as someone who is in line for a huge pay raise via a new contract. After being taken off the board by the Nets in the second round (31st overall) in the 2019 NBA Draft, Claxton was signed by Brooklyn for just $4.2 million over three years. In 2022, Claxton paid $17.25 million over two years with the Nets. So far in his NBA career, Claxton has earned a total of $22.24 million.

This time, some around the league believe he could secure a contract worth more annually than his total salary earnings to date.

“The Post spoke with several major league executives about how much Claxton could command, with one suggesting he’ll get $20 million annually and another pointing to a contract with Jakob Poetl (four years, $78 million) as an absolute minimum.”

As one of the best big men on the free agent market, Claxton can be expected to get a big win at the negotiating table, whether he ends up staying with the Nets or starting a new chapter of his NBA career elsewhere.

“It’s interesting, at least for me. I know everyone’s situation is different, but for me personally, it’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s the unknown of it all,” Claxton said. “I appreciate Brooklyn for giving me the opportunity to be here and support me. And like I said, we’ll see what happens.