With the Phoenix Suns looking for identity under a new head coach and under pressure to say goodbye to the two stars, Jordan Ott has identified a possible trade target.
The Phoenix Suns have parted ways this offseason with both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beale in a perfect world. However, Beal is one of two NBA players, with non-trade clauses and is only involved in Lebron James.
The Suns are expected to trade Durant and suffer further down years and rebuild with Devin Booker and rescueable assets.
The Suns have acquired three head coaches in the last three seasons and have recently hired Jordan Otto, who has never led the team, but they have a long track record of assistants with the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers.
There is reason to believe that if the Suns give Ott a runtime and allow them to build and develop a team, there will be a light at the end of the tunnel, and the freshman coach has identified the players they want to target the Suns.
In the first three seasons of Nic Claxton’s career, OTT was an assistant on the Nets’ bench. Although Claxton took time to find the footing, he became a solid starting center offering excellent defense.
Last year, he averaged 10.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 70 games, but his minutes were limited as the net took the season.
Claxton is the type of player the Suns adds next to Booker as an athletic shot blocker, and he’s only 26 years old and has a perfect fit for Booker’s timeline.
Claxton has long been linked to the brink of competing with the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors and other teams, but the Suns “is very interested in getting Nicholas Claxton.”
With Durant, Booker and Beal in the book, Suns struggles with any trade, unless they get involved with those stars. The net simply doesn’t care about Durant, but they could be the third team in the possible trade.
Teams like Timberwolves, Heat, Spurs and Rockets are linked to Durant, allowing Suns to acquire a third team to reroute some of their assets. If the net can add draft picks, Claxton is almost certainly at the table to balance his pay.
The starting lineup of free agents Tyus Jones, Claxton, Beal, Booker and Royce O’Neal isn’t enough to compete in the Western Conference, but it could be poised for the Suns to reappear in 2027 after Beal’s contract last season.
With three seasons remaining in his deal, Claxton meets the need position and is within the scope of why the Suns are taking this offseason.