NBA Rumors: It sounds like the Brooklyn Nets are preparing to pay Nic Claxton crazy money in free agency to retain him, but should they?
As the Brooklyn Nets try to figure out what their next steps will be as a franchise, there's one big question that remains at the forefront of the team's offseason - and that revolves around whether re-signing Nicolas Claxton, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, should be atop of their priorities.
Coming off back-to-back strong seasons, Claxton is in line to secure a huge contract in free agency. That said, that doesn't mean the Nets should be willing to meet his high asking price. But, at least for now, it appears as if that's their initial plan heading into the offseason.
According to a recent report, it appears the Nets may be preparing to pay Claxton whatever it takes to keep him on the roster. As he prepares for free agency, that could mean signing him to a contract worth up to $25 million per season. The question is, would this be considered a smart move for the team?
Should the Nets pay Nic Claxton top 10 center money?
Not taking into account potential contract extensions this offseason, Claxton could very much be in line to make top-10 center money this summer. Assuming Claxton gets the money he's likely going to demand on the open market, he's going to be making more money than the likes of Jarrett Allen and Jakob Poeltl. He'd be making slightly less than Deandre Ayton and Bam Adebayo.
While that may seem like fair money for Claxton, you can't help but wonder if it would be considered a potential mistake for a team that is considered stuck in mediocrity. Picture this, the Nets could be entering the 2024-25 season with $72 million locked up in Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Claxton - with Claxton being the highest non-Ben Simmons player on the roster.
Again, I'm not going to tell an NBA organization how to spend its money, but that's an awfully lot of money tied into three players who have proven to not be good enough to carry this team to a Play-In Tournament spot.
The Nets are currently the epitome of mediocrity in the NBA at the moment. They are tasked with the difficulty in trying to break out of the mud this summer. What the Nets have to figure out is whether re-signing Claxton to a big-money free-agent deal is part of that effort.