OKC Thunder Listed As Favorite to Land Nets' Nic Claxton This Offseason

While the Thunder's last focus is roster reconstruction amid their playoff run, oddsmakers like the team's chances to land Nic Claxton from the Nets this offseason.

Jan 15, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) controls the ball / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The last thing on the Oklahoma City Thunder's mind is the offseason, roster construction or anything not related to taking down the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. They currently hold a 2-0 lead over the Pelicans following a dominant Game 2 victory. Now, heading to New Orleans, the Thunder has a massive opportunity to essentially close the series out with a Game 3 victory.

Still, oddsmakers and teams not in the playoffs have the opportunity to get ahead on offseason musings, including player movement, which is a big part of every offseason.

According to Bovada, the Thunder is the favorite to land Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton, should he move on from the team. The Nets center is hitting unrestricted free agency in June, and the Thunder is going to have plenty of cap space to work with.

The benefit of only having one superstar under contract -- that being Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his max contract -- while having other stars on their rookie deals is that there is plenty of cap flexibility. The Thunder also has more draft capital than they really even need. Either way, flexibility is going to be a trend over the next few offseasons.

Because of the flexibility, and the media's interpretation that the Thunder needs another big man to pair alongside Chet Holmgren, Bovada gave the Thunder +225 odds to land Claxton, should he decide to leave the Nets, who will pursue him heavily out of free agency.

The Thunder's first-round opponent, the Pelicans, have the next-best odds at +325. Still, it's hard to imagine a fit for either of those teams. The Thunder has Holmgren at the center position and plays a style that promotes versatile big men capable of stretching the floor. Claxton doesn't necessarily fit the bill of a Thunder big man and would cost more than the team should play for a player who isn't exactly needed on the roster.

With the cap and draft capital flexibility mentioned, the Thunder is going to be heavily rumored for every big-name talent up for grabs in the offseason. Claxton is an incredible talent, great in the pick and roll and elite on the defensive side of the ball, but it's hard to imagine Oklahoma City is a destination for him.

The Thunder has a young group growing together -- which also happened to win 57 games to earn the No. 1 seed in a stacked Western Conference this season. What's the reason to mess with that by adding players who don't quite fit the unique style that helped them achieve early success as a team?

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