NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton is heading into free-agency for the first time in his career now that Brooklyn’s season has come to an end. Before Claxton thought about his free-agency in its entirety, he took some time to think about how this season went awry.
“Just trying to process everything. Obviously this season didn’t go the way we wanted it to, the way we had it planned,” Claxton said during his exit interview on Monday. In the midst of the Nets not meeting their own expectations of making the playoffs, Claxton had himself another solid season that will earn him a pretty penny on the open market.
You always grow during tough times, tough times at work,” Claxton said about how tough this season was. “A lot of times that’s where your true colors show. And, like I said, it wasn’t an easy year. But the guys in the locker room, we were still locked in no matter what was happening in wins and losses.”
Claxton, who will turn 25 years old on Apr. 17, averaged 11.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 62.9% from the field and 55.1% from the free-throw line in his fifth season in the NBA. To put those numbers into perspective, he finished 13th in the league in rebounds per game, eighth in blocks per game, and fifth in field-goal percentage.
Claxton finds himself in a unique position as he could be signing a contract worth at least $20 million per season and still play for the team that drafted him with the 31st overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. However, he said that he’s still early in his decision-making process and described his first time being a free-agent as a “blessing.”
As someone who has seen his status within the league rise since last season when he was able to play more than 47 games for the first time in his career, Claxton is having fun with the process.
“I think it’s exciting, for me at least. I know everybody’s situation is different, but for me personally, it’s fun, it’s exciting, the unknown of everything. The position I’ve put myself in over these past couple of years is really amazing and I just have to thank God and just be grateful because a lot of things could’ve happened,” Claxton said.
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