Nets' Claxton to Miss Matchup With Washington, 'Hungry' to Return

Brooklyn's starting center is set to miss his second straight game.

Sep 30, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) during media day at Brooklyn Nets Media Day at HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Heading into their second display of preseason action against the Washington Wizards, the Brooklyn Nets will be shorthanded yet again.

Per C.J. Holmes of the New York Daily News, Nic Claxton is set to miss his second straight game nursing a hamstring injury the franchise has dubbed "not serious."

Holmes' report states that the Nets' anchor being held out is due to "precautionary reasons" and that the recently-extended big man is "hungry to get back on the court." He also added that rookie head coach Jordi Fernandez believes Claxton could return against either the Philadelphia 76ers or Toronto Raptors later this week.

The 25-year-old signed a four-year, $97 million extension with the Nets back in June following another season that saw the 6-foot-11 center flirt with a nightly double-double average.

While the injury bug struck Brooklyn early in 2024-25, all injuries fortunately appear to be minor. The Claxton announcement follows Oct. 7's report that Day'Ron Sharpe and Trendon Watford would miss time due to hamstring issues of their own.

Missing preseason action isn't anything major, but it does further delay true on-court chemistry from being established. The longer the Nets are without their complete starting five, the rustier the regular season product may be come Oct. 23's season-opener. Should Claxton return within days, Fernandez will hopefully be able to debut his starting lineup at full force.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Nets on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Nets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.