Nic Claxton: Nets Have to 'Shut Out the Outside Noise' with Kevin Durant Returning

The Brooklyn Nets have been the epicenter of the NBA's offseason drama this summer, with major questions about whether Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant would be traded.

While that appears to be behind the organization, with this week's announcement that Durant would continue with the team, center Nic Claxton knows that it's nonetheless important for the team to drown out any distractions as the season nears.

"We just have to be able to shut out the outside noise," he told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. "Since I've been here, it's always been something. But we just have to be able to shut that out and just focus on everybody that's inside the building and focus on getting better, building on and off the court. ... We've just got to come together and come together as a unit."

The Nets aren't devoid of question marks, of course. There will likely be some awkwardness between Durant and the head coach, Steve Nash, and general manager, Sean Marks, who he reportedly requested be fired this summer.

Irving has also been a constant source of drama during his time in Brooklyn, and now he's in the final year of his contract and could walk next summer. And there's the case of Ben Simmons, who has yet to make his on-court debut for the team after being acquired in February.

These Nets have been a soap opera during Durant and Irving's time with the organization. If that changes, they have the talent to win a title.

"On paper, we definitely have some of the best talent in the league, but as we've seen in the past, it takes more than that," Claxton noted. "So we've just got to come together and just all work towards the same goal, which is winning the championship."