NBA Trade Rumor: Nic Claxton Heads to Warriors in Proposed Trade

The Golden State Warriors are desperate to add a legit big man who can offer some rim protection at one end, and some rim running at the other end of the floor.

One of the names they've been linked to is Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton. Joey Akele of si.com has proposed a deal that would bring Claxton to Northern California:

Warriors Receive:

Nic Claxton

Nets Receive:

Jonathan Kuminga
Al Horford
2032 Second-Round Pick

Horford was a significant offseason pickup for the Warriors in their attempts to beef up their big man rotation, but he's been a disappointment thus far.
He's been dealing with injuries, and has only played 13 games. Additionally, the 39-year-old has been unproductive in limited play with just 5.6 PPG and 4.4 RPG in about 21 minutes per night. Turning him and Kuminga into a truly legit—and young—defensive presence like Claxton would be a big W for the Dubs.

The 26-year-old is averaging 13.5 points and 7.7 boards for the Nets with 1.3 blocks, while playing a career-high 30.3 minutes per game.

Would Nets trade Claxton in Kuminga-led package from Warriors?

For the Nets, there are some questions about whether they have coveted Kuminga, a young, explosive, athletic forward with significant two-way upside. The Warriors have just not committed to running with Kuminga for any length of time, and he is thought to be the NBA's No. 1 Most Likely To Be Traded this season. As soon as Jan. 15th, the day he becomes eligible.

Akele notes that Claxton could be expendable for Brooklyn, as they have two developing big men in Noah Clowney and Danny Wolf, "who need as much seasoning as possible. With that in mind, moving Claxton for a talented wing in Kuminga makes sense, and perhaps the Nets can reroute Horford to a contender for another second-round pick".

He does cede, however, that Brooklyn might not do this deal without a first-round draft pick coming back their way, maybe even in place of Kuminga.