Nets Rumors: Nic Claxton 'Could Be More Available' at Trade Deadline Than Believed

If the Brooklyn Nets become sellers ahead of the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline, don't be shocked if center Nic Claxton ends up being on the move.

NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote Thursday: "I've heard more than once this week not to discount the idea that Brooklyn big man Claxton could be more available over the next seven days than previously advertised. There are mixed signals in circulation about the Nets' plans with Claxton as unrestricted free agency looms this summer."

The Nets are just 19-28 on the year, currently 11th in the Eastern Conference, and don't have a legitimate superstar on the roster to build around. It wouldn't be a major shock if the team eventually embraced a full rebuild, in other words.

Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas have been bright spots this season, but in general, the Nets are a team composed of excellent role players. Even Bridges is likely best cast as the third option on a title-contending team.

But many of those players, including Claxton, should interest said contenders.

The 24-year-old is averaging 12.4 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in his fifth season, emerging as a solid rim-protector. Granted, Brooklyn hasn't been particularly effective with him on the floor—he has a disappointing minus-5.5 net rating on the season, per NBA.com. But very few of the team's players have a positive net rating.

Bridges would be the most intriguing player if he was made available, but The Athletic's Kelly Iko, Shams Charania and Sam Amick reported Wednesday that the Nets have "zero interest in any deal involving Bridges, who is part of Brooklyn's core moving forward."

The Houston Rockets reportedly offered "multiple first-round draft picks" and "joined the long line of teams showing extremely high interest" in Bridges, but the Nets declined.

Dealing upcoming free agents like Claxton, Spencer Dinwiddie, Royce O'Neale, Dennis Smith Jr. or Lonnie Walker IV would make the most sense for Brooklyn, and if the Nets could find a taker for Ben Simmons' contract (they won't), they'd likely jump at the chance.

The Nets would probably prefer to keep their core of wings like Bridges, Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith intact, though the latter two may also attract interest on the market.

At some point, the Nets are going to have to pick a direction—are they going to embrace a full rebuild, or are they going to keep a mediocre core in place and hope they can either use their various trade assets to acquire a star or improve via free agency this offseason?

Right now, they exist somewhere between those two scenarios, floating through a purgatory of mediocrity.