The San Antonio Spurs are one of the proudest organizations in NBA history. With that said, they’ve fallen on hard times recently. Luckily for them, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
That light happens to stand 7’3. This summer, the Spurs got lucky in the NBA draft. With the first overall pick, they selected Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama isn’t your typical number-one pick. This is a generational prospect who’s expected to be the best player in the NBA someday.
Now, the Spurs need to develop him properly. It seems as if they plan on developing him as a 4. With Wembanyama’s slight frame, the Spurs may not want him tussling down low with the league’s 5s. Could they acquire Nic Claxton from the Brooklyn Nets as a result?
The Trade Proposal
Brooklyn Nets Receive: G/F Reggie Bullock, 2025 First-Round Pick (ATL via SAS), 2026 First-Round Pick (SAS)
San Antonio Spurs Receive: C Nic Claxton
Of course, the very job description of an NBA big man is changing. Wrestling on the low block itself isn’t as prominent a part of the job description as it used to be. Meanwhile, playing the 4 instead of the 5 can be a moot point.
In fact, the league is trending towards players just like Wembanyama. Take recent lottery pick Evan Mobley. Some may have expected him to play the 5 at the NBA level. Instead, he’s been playing the 4 alongside Jarrett Allen.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Nic Claxton, San Antonio Spurs & Brooklyn Nets Updates
Are twin towers coming back? We wouldn’t go that far. Teams won’t start two slow-footed big men around the league again. With that said, a pair of bigs who have some combined defensive versatility can co-exist. Would Wembanyama and Claxton have enough versatility between them?
Why The San Antonio Spurs Do The Deal
What a silly question. Of course they do. In fact, this would be the most agile frontcourt pairing in the NBA. The Spurs could field a dominant defense by acquiring Claxton.
How would it look specifically? It’s hard to say – there are so many options with this duo. Wembanyama could function as the primary rim protector while Claxton worked as a free safety. Claxton could defend the rim in a scheme where switching is encouraged, with Wembanyama as a weak side shot blocker. For that matter, the Spurs could simply switch everything in a hyper-aggressive scheme.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Nic Claxton, San Antonio Spurs & Brooklyn Nets Updates
Somehow, we trust Gregg Popovich to figure out the right scheme. Either way, this is the foundation of a dominant defense. Claxton is a rare 1-through-5 defender, and Wembanyama should be among the best shot blockers in the NBA. Should the Nets help them put that duo together?
Why The Brooklyn Nets Do The Deal
The Nets do this deal with financial motives as much as anything else. This team, as constructed, looks mediocre. The Nets may not want to heavily invest in this squad. Meanwhile, this summer, they’ll have to make a choice about Claxton.
After all, he’ll be due for an extension. The Nets may feel that they can’t let Claxton go – that would be justifiable. On the other hand, if they decide that they simply can’t afford him, they could look to move on. If so, this would be an acceptable return.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Nic Claxton, San Antonio Spurs & Brooklyn Nets Updates
Nevermind Bullock – he’s here to make the money work. The Nets are flipping Claxton for two unprotected first-rounders. They’ll be adding these picks to one of the best collections of draft capital in the NBA – even if that means giving up one of the best young bigs in the NBA.
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