The Brooklyn Nets made some noise on the eve of the NBA Draft, acquiring three-time All-Star Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick in a three-team trade that sent the No. 33 pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls.
Randle will step in as the Nets’ oldest and most accomplished player next season. The deal also gives Brooklyn another opportunity to land a contributor in the first round of Tuesday’s draft. Meanwhile, Claxton’s seven-year Brooklyn tenure comes to a close, as he’ll get a fresh start with a Bulls team in need of a starting center.
With that, we assess the deal for the Nets and assign a grade.
Grading Nets’ Julius Randle trade involving Nic Claxton
The Nets’ rebuild timeline got pushed further into the future after they fell to the No. 6 pick at this year’s draft lottery. Yet, without control of their 2027 first-round pick, they should still be motivated to improve following two tanking seasons. With the roster far away from contending, Brooklyn was searching for ways to improve without sacrificing long-term flexibility.
This trade was a good first step.
Randle offers the Nets a proven on-ball creator alongside their cohort of young prospects. The two-time All-NBA selection averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists on 48.1 percent shooting last season. Minnesota’s offense was 7.6 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor than off, the NBA’s 10th-best offensive rating swing among players who played over 1,500 minutes, per CleaningTheGlass.
The deal also opens more minutes for Day’Ron Sharpe, who has been one of the NBA’s top backup centers over the last two seasons. Sharpe outplayed Claxton during that span, averaging 8.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 56.3 percent shooting in just 18.5 minutes per game. The Nets were 8.0 points better per 100 possessions with Sharpe on the floor vs. off last season, the ninth-best net rating swing among all centers who played over 1,000 minutes.
Brooklyn sacrificed some cap space in the deal, adding $10 million to its books for next season. However, the free-agent market is limited, and the Nets still have the flexibility to add an impact player if the opportunity arises. Should Randle perform well this season, he could be flippable next summer, provided he picks up his $35.8 million player option.
The Nets also move up to No. 28 on Tuesday, giving them another swing in the first round of a deep draft.
All in all, the Nets upgraded their rotation and moved up five spots in the draft without sacrificing any long-term assets or financial flexibility. That’s precisely the type of move they should be making at this juncture in their rebuild.
Grade: A-
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