June 17, 2026, 7:30 p.m. ET
The Charlotte Hornets are exploring frontcourt additions through trades.Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton has emerged as a potential trade target for Charlotte.Claxton’s contract is significantly less expensive than that of Domantas Sabonis, another Hornets target.The Hornets may pursue Claxton if the Nets’ asking price is lower than the Kings’ for Sabonis.
The Charlotte Hornets continue to look for additions in the frontcourt after engaging with the Sacramento Kings in trade talks for Domantas Sabonis last week. While Charlotte has yet to pull the trigger on adding Sabonis, they are said to be looking at other options via trade.
According to HoopsHype, Nic Claxton of the Brooklyn Nets is one of those options. Although Claxton isn’t known for his scoring, he’s involved in many facets of the game. Last season in 69 games with the Nets, Claxton averaged 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, a career-high 3.7 assists, in addition to 1.1 blocks and 0.7 steals. Claxton’s best season came in the 2022-23 campaign, where he averaged 12.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 2.5 blocks and 0.9 steals. It’s also worth mentioning Claxton’s potential to grow, as the center has yet to average over 30 minutes per game in each of his seven seasons.
Although Claxton and Sabonis each have two seasons left on their current contracts, Claxton’s salary is nearly half of Sabonis’. Additionally, if Brooklyn’s price point for Claxton is cheaper than that of the Kings’ for Sabonis, the Hornets could shift their focus to the former Gerogia Bulldog instead.
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