NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton is heading into his seventh season in the NBA after being taken with the 31st overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Claxton is coming off a 2024-25 season in which he had some solid production while dealing with some back issues, but there is some reason to believe that he could be in a better position to produce this time around.

“Absolutely. Y’all will see it,” Claxton said after training camp practice on Wednesday when asked if his back feels better this time around than it did last season at the same time. Claxton said during his exit interview in April following the conclusion of the 2024-25 campaign that he wasn’t able to work out much due to tightness in his back that occurred during last summer. Claxton is also excited to play with guard Cam Thomas.

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“I mean, people say a lot. You can say empty calories, whatever. He made the game a lot easier for myself,” Claxton said when asked about running the pick-and-roll with Thomas during the upcoming season. “Just, he draws so much attention, and he can pass the ball. I think he’s gonna do really well this year, and it’s gonna be a huge, huge year for him, and I’m excited for him this season.”

Claxton, 26, had a solid season last year as he averaged 10.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 56.3% from the field and 51.3% from the free-throw line. However, it became clear that Claxton was limited by his back as it looked like he wasn’t having the kind of impact on the floor that he had during the days that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were in town.

Granted, the Nets have been in a full rebuild since the beginning of the 2024-25 season, meaning that Claxton hasn’t been playing with the best talent that the team could field due to other reasons. With Claxton feeling confident enough to say that onlookers will be able to see how much better he feels from a physical perspective, Nets fans should be excited for what is to come from the former Georgia Bulldog.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets’ Nic Claxton is feeling better; excited to play with Cam Thomas