Mock trade has Nets trading Nic Claxton for Josh Green and first-round picks
The Brooklyn Nets have made it through an important part of their offseason as they have made their trades and free-agent moves to make the team the best it can be for next season. Now that the summer league has came and went and Brooklyn got a good look at their draft picks in Jalen Wilson and Noah Clowney, the Nets can turn their sights towards training camp.
With that being said, Brooklyn, like every other team in the NBA, is still looking to get better however they can. At this point, most of free-agency has passed so the Nets may not be able to go that route and get any player of substance unless they change their mind on someone like Christian Wood for example.
A trade can happen at any time during this offseason and given the fact that Brooklyn is open to trading some of their wings for more balance among the roster, a deal could still happen before next season starts. In the meantime, let’s ponder a mock trade suggested by James Piercey of the NBA Analysis Network in which Brooklyn gets players and picks in exchange for an important player on the roster:
The Mock Trade:
Brooklyn Nets receive: JaVale McGee, Josh Green, 2026 First-Round Pick (DAL), and 2028 First-Round Pick (Swap – DAL)
Dallas Mavericks receive: Nic Claxton
Should the Nets do this trade?
For the Nets, getting this haul for Claxton sounds like a good deal despite the fact that it leaves Brooklyn in a tough place with regards to center. In this scenario, the Nets would either have to trust that JaVale McGee would be able to be effective as a starting center or hope that Day’Ron Sharpe can fill the role of Claxton and not tank the team. Getting Josh Green would add a nice wrinkle to Brooklyn because of how far he has come along to being an effective scorer and acquiring two first-round picks from Dallas that far down the line could be fruitful if both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving leave the team within the next few seasons.
On the other side, Brooklyn losing Claxton would be a major blow to the Nets’ competitiveness moving forward. With the current roster, Claxton is arguably the second-best player on the team and with the way that he’s able to be a defensive anchor, he’s showed that most teams could use a center like him, especially in the modern NBA. Not to mention that Claxton has been working on his offensive game so it’s possible that Brooklyn loses a good player without much of a replacement for him.
In the end, this deal is better for Brooklyn if they decide to rebuild as opposed to trying to make the playoffs. Given the fact that the Nets do not have control of their own first-round picks for the next few seasons, they are better off trying to be as competitive as possible to maximize their resources.
Verdict: No, the Nets should not do this trade.
