The Indiana Pacers may have a 6 and 18 record at the bottom of the NBA, but with Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles injury, their focus is clearly on the 2026 to 2027 season. While they have talented players like Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin, they have a major need at the center position, and that is where Nic Claxton comes in.
The Brooklyn Nets are surprisingly one of the more exciting NBA teams to watch with elite scorer Michael Porter Jr., young players like Egor Demin, and quality center Nic Claxton, despite having a 6 and 17 record. Although this team is fun to watch, they are nowhere close to playoff success, which makes them a potential seller by the NBA trade deadline.
Their most valuable pieces are Porter Jr., Cam Thomas who is only on a six million dollar contract, and Nic Claxton who is a twenty six year old center in the prime of his career. Here is why the Indiana Pacers need to trade for Nic Claxton, and why it should happen soon.
*Prediction*
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Claxton needs to be one of the most coveted NBA players because he has the versatility to give an NBA team practically anything they need from the center position. He is a 6’11 center, and while he’s slender, his mobility is one of his biggest strengths.
It gives him the foot speed to guard they fastest guards and forward in the league, while having the wingspan to deal with the tallest centers.
Pacers Trade for a Center Report
NBA Insider Shams Charania Reported that the Indiana Pacers are “in active trade talks around the league to find a center of the future after losing Myles Turner in free agency.” The “Center of the future” likely rules out veterans like Nikola Vucevic in favor of young players like Walker Kessler.
Claxton is not your typical center who just camps in the paint because he has the speed and versatility to push the ball in the fastbreak and legit be a point center at times.
His best skill he’s developed by working with elite scorers Michael Porter Jr and Terrance Mann is the passing ability in dribble handoffs or in running the offense out of the elbow with Claxton initiating the offense. This would work wonders with an elite cutter like Aaron Nesmith on the Pacers.
His biggest flaw by far and away is his free throw shooting as he’s averaging 69.4% but this is actually a major improvement from the rest of his career where he was shooting around 53% from the free throw stripe.
Nic Claxton Stats / Contract
Nic Claxton is averaging roughly 13.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. He’s already notched two triple-doubles this season:
In a win over Boston Celtics, he posted 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists. More recently, against New Orleans Pelicans, he finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, along with three blocks.
Claxton’s contract also makes him extremely valuable because he has two more seasons left until he is a free agent in the 2028 offseason. He’s also making only $23 million and $20 million over the next two years on top of the $25 million from this season.