Steve Kerr, Warriors
Getty
Head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors reacts from the bench.
The Golden State Warriors’ pursuit of Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton appears to have cooled — at least for now — as the franchise continues to weigh how aggressively it should deploy its remaining trade assets.
According to NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, there is no momentum toward a deal at this stage, despite early exploratory interest from Golden State and other teams.
“I’ve heard there was exploratory interest earlier with the Golden State Warriors, obviously the Indiana Pacers as well,” Scotto said Thursday on SNY’s The Putback. “But I did not get the sense that anything was close there at this point. And for Nic, his contract descends. So for Brooklyn, there’s no immediate urgency now to move him, and he could be a part of their outlook going into next season.”
That lack of urgency has effectively stalled what once looked like a logical fit for the Warriors.
Claxton’s Contract Gives Nets Leverage
Warriors, Warriors trade, Nic Claxton
GettyPat Spencer of the Golden State Warriors shoots a basket against Nic Claxton of the Brooklyn Nets.
Claxton is in the second season of the four-year, $100 million contract he signed with Brooklyn in 2024. The deal includes $97 million guaranteed and descends annually — $25 million this season, $23 million next season, and $21 million in the final year.
At 26, Claxton remains firmly in his prime, and the contract structure gives the Nets flexibility rather than pressure to move him. Brooklyn can afford to be patient, particularly if the market does not meet its valuation.
That valuation remains steep.
According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, Brooklyn has set a high bar for any Claxton deal.
“Brooklyn won’t begin to consider any trade packages for Claxton without the inclusion of a true unprotected first-round pick, among other assets,” Siegel previously reported.
For Golden State, that price tag complicates matters.
Why Claxton Fits the Warriors’ Needs
From a basketball standpoint, Claxton checks nearly every box for Golden State.
The athletic center is averaging 12.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game this season and anchored the NBA’s top-ranked defense in December, when the Nets held opponents to just 105.4 points per 100 possessions while winning seven of 11 games.
Claxton would give the Warriors a true rim-running, vertical spacer — something they have not consistently had since JaVale McGee during their championship runs. He is also a switchable defender capable of surviving on the perimeter and finishing in pick-and-roll actions with Stephen Curry.
Golden State’s need is evident in the numbers. The Warriors rank in the bottom 10 in both rebounding and blocks, with no player averaging more than 5.8 rebounds or 1.0 block per game.
But fit alone is not enough.
Warriors Guarding Their Draft Capital
Golden State controls up to four future first-round picks and still has Jonathan Kuminga — who previously requested a trade — as a potential salary component in a larger deal.
However, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has repeatedly emphasized that draft picks will only be moved for a true difference-maker.
“Our picks always will and have been in play,” Dunleavy said Tuesday. “To give up our picks, it’s got to be meaningful to get something back. So for that reason, there’s only so many players out there that probably warrant putting stuff like that on the table.
“But we’re looking at everything. Joe Lacob is our owner, so you’re always exploring all possibilities, willing to do any type of deal.”
Dunleavy has also stressed that the post-Stephen Curry era factors heavily into those decisions.
“If we’re talking about trading draft picks that will be going out when Steph isn’t here,” he said, “it’s going to have to be a player that we think will be here when those picks are going out.”
That calculus makes a Claxton deal difficult at Brooklyn’s current asking price.
Bigger Names Still Loom Over the Market
While Claxton appears to be on hold, Golden State — like the rest of the league — continues to monitor larger developments.
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo once again fueled speculation with a noncommittal response about his future following a 112–110 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.
“I don’t know,” Antetokounmpo said when asked about finishing the season in Milwaukee. “I take it day by day.”
For the Warriors, Claxton represents a clean basketball fit — but not one worth emptying the war chest. As the trade deadline approaches, Golden State’s restraint suggests it may be waiting not just for the right player, but for the right moment.
And for now, that moment hasn’t arrived.