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Brooklyn Nets center Nicolas Claxton appears set to remain with the team. The 25-year-old is hitting unrestricted free agency this offseason, but sources have indicated to Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily that the team is "very confident" in its ability to re-sign Claxton. Nets general manager Sean Marks said a couple of weeks back that extending Claxton will be Brooklyn's "No. 1 priority" in the offseason. Claxton, who's reportedly set to fetch a contract with a yearly salary of around $25 million, was among the top shot-blockers in the league in 2023-24 with 2.1 swats and averaged a career-high 9.9 rebounds, along with 11.8 points in 29.8 minutes. The team seems to have big plans for him, and at 25 years old, Claxton should have plenty of room to develop.
Brooklyn Nets center Nicolas Claxton will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but if the team has its way, he won't be going anywhere soon. According to general manager Sean Marks, tying Claxton down will be the "No. 1 priority" for the team in the summer. Marks added that he hopes Claxton will be a Net for "a very long time." The comments came after Brooklyn's new head coach, Jordi Fernandez, said at his introductory press conference that he believes Claxton has the potential to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Claxton, the 31st pick of the 2019 draft, has just completed his fifth NBA season. He averaged 11.8 points with a career-high 9.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 29.8 minutes.
Impending free-agent guard Lonnie Walker IV appears to be noncommittal on his future with the Brooklyn Nets. "I'm just looking for a home Just looking for a team that finds me valuable. [I want to be] an important piece for a team that can consistently play We'll see how things go", Walker told reporters following Sunday's blowout loss in Brooklyn's regular-season finale against the Philadelphia 76ers. The 25-year-old swingman netted a one-year pact with the Nets last offseason and was a serviceable part of their rotation when healthy during 2023-24, averaging 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.8 three-pointers on 38.4% shooting from beyond the arc through 58 appearances as a reserve. Walker is a decent spot-up shooter and spark plug off the bench, but he doesn't provide enough on the defensive end to consistently handle big minutes.
Brooklyn Nets center Day'Ron Sharpe (wrist) won't play on Sunday versus the Philadelphia 76ers. He didn't suit up for Friday's loss to the New York Knicks. But his absence against Philly means his year is over. However, Sharpe had the best season of his career, averaging 6.8 points and 6.4 boards. The 22-year-old could see more work in the middle for the Nets in 2024-25, depending on what the future holds for Nicolas Claxton. Yet, as far as the regular-season finale is concerned, Claxton could see significantly fewer minutes than usual, meaning Noah Clowney, Jalen Wilson, and Trendon Watford are worth considering for DFS contests.
Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Smith Jr. (hip) won't play in Sunday's contest against the 76ers. He's missed plenty of time throughout the 2023-24 campaign because of a hip issue, so his absence for the regular-season finale doesn't surprise anyone. But by all accounts, the 2017 No. 9 overall pick had a decent season, averaging 6.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals. Dennis Schroder (Achilles) also won't play, meaning Jacob Gilyard could get the start. However, he struggled in Friday's loss to the Knicks, which won't increase his DFS stock on Sunday.