As the Phoenix Suns search for identity under a new head coach and pressure to part ways with two of their stars, Jordan Ott has identified a possible trade target.
The Phoenix Suns, in a perfect world, would part ways with both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal this offseason. However, Beal is one of only two players in the NBA with a no-trade clause, joining only LeBron James.
The Suns are expected to trade Durant, suffer another down year, and rebuild with Devin Booker and whatever assets they can salvage.
The Suns have had three head coaches in the last three seasons, and recently hired Jordan Ott, who has never led a team but has a long assistant track record with the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
If the Suns give Ott some runtime and allow him to build and develop a team, there is reason to believe there is light at the end of the tunnel, and the first-year coach has identified a player he wants the Suns to target.
For the first three seasons of Nic Claxton’s career, Ott was an assistant on the Nets’ bench. Claxton took some time to find his footing, but he has become a solid starting center who offers excellent defense.
Last year, in 70 games, he averaged 10.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks, although his minutes were limited as the Nets tanked away their season.
Claxton, as an athletic shot-blocker, is exactly the type of player the Suns should add next to Booker, and he is only 26 years old, fitting Booker’s timeline perfectly.
Claxton has long been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and other teams on the verge of contending, although the Suns are “very interested in acquiring Nicolas Claxton.”
With Durant, Booker, and Beal on the books, the Suns will struggle to make any trade unless it involves those stars. The Nets simply have no interest in Durant, although they could be the third team in a possible trade.
As teams like the Timberwolves, Heat, Spurs, and Rockets are linked to Durant, the Suns could get a third team involved to re-route some assets their way. If the Nets can add a draft pick, Claxton is almost certainly on the table to help balance salary.
While a starting lineup of free agent Tyus Jones, Claxton, Beal, Booker, and Royce O’Neal is not good enough to compete in the Western Conference, the Suns could be poised to re-emerge as a threat in 2027, after Beal’s last season on his contract.
With three seasons left on his deal, Claxton fills a position of need and is well within reason for the Suns to snag this offseason.
