Close your eyes. Picture a prototypical NBA center. Are you picturing a huge, lumbering big man who’s the strongest guy on the floor? Your age is showing.

At this point, you should probably stop living in the past. The prototypical modern big man is long and lean. He’s able to guard multiple positions.

It’s less likely that you’ll see him use his muscle to score on the low block.

Instead, he’s likely to use his agility and wingspan to catch a lob out of a pick-and-roll. 

In other words, you should be picturing Nic Claxton of the Brooklyn Nets. Claxton is everything teams are looking for in a modern big. He’s a Defensive Player of the Year candidate this season. 

Could he be moved to the Dallas Mavericks this summer?