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NY Knicks: 3 Nets players team could steal during offseason

By Brad Dressler

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 02: Nic Claxton #33 of the Brooklyn Nets slam dunks against the Sacramento Kings during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Golden 1 Center on February 02, 2022 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 02: Nic Claxton #33 of the Brooklyn Nets slam dunks against the Sacramento Kings during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Golden 1 Center on February 02, 2022 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Nic Claxton
Nic Claxton, Brooklyn Nets. (Photo by Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports) – New York Knicks /

2: Nic Claxton

The only reason that Nic Claxton isn’t my favorite potential signing of the bunch is because ideally, I’d much rather the Knicks keep Mitchell Robinson. However, if he ends up walking or being a part of a sign-and-trade deal, Claxton’s my first choice as Robinson’s replacement.

Claxton, who’ll be a restricted free agent this summer, recently signed on with CAA, Leon Rose’s former agency. If there’s a team that has an idea of where Claxton wants to play next year and what he’ll be asking for, it’s New York.

The 22-year-old is a much better player than what it shows on the stat sheets. He’s been buried on the depth chart in Brooklyn for the past two seasons and we’ve yet to see what he’s capable of when he’s fully unleashed.

Some may say he’s a poor man’s Robinson, but that is again without us being able to see what he could do when given the keys to a starting position and 30+ minutes per game.

This season, Claxton’s averaging 8.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per contest. Robinson, on the other hand, is averaging 8.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and nearly two blocked shots.

The difference is that Claxton comes off the bench almost exclusively and has played in 30 fewer games than Robinson. He’s also averaging about six minutes less per game than Robinson.

I believe with the right coaching and the freedom to play as aggressively as Robinson does on the defensive side, Claxton would be a nice fill-in at a fraction of the cost.

In today’s game, it’s best not to commit too much to the center position anyway unless you have a top-tier talent like Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic.

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