Obviously, everybody around the NBA is talking about the James Harden - Ben Simmons trade, and for very good reasons. But, as it usually happens, that's not the only big move that could've happened at the deadline.
The Brooklyn Nets were one of the most aggressive teams in the hours leading to the deadline. They were eager to stop the bleeding and put an end to their nine-game losing streak one way or the other.
That's why, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN, they were pretty close to parting ways with Nic Claxton. The plan was to send him to the Toronto Raptors for a protected first-round pick and then flip that pick for a shooter.
NBA Rumors: Nets Nearly Traded Nic Claxton To The Toronto Raptors
“I think one thing that happened at the trade deadline that I heard was that they were very close to a deal with Toronto that would have sent Claxton to Toronto for a first round pick and some protections on it,” Lowe said on his podcast. “I think their intention was to sort of refit the roster by maybe flipping that pick for another wing, another shooter. Robert Covington’s name was mentioned. And sort of balance it out. That trade fell apart and Toronto went in another direction.”
Claxton would be the missing piece for an up-and-coming Raptors team that's one rim protector away from being a legit dark horse out of the Eastern Conference. The Nets, on the other hand, would've landed even more firepower.
In the end, Sean Marks got the biggest deal of the day done and found that sharpshooter in Seth Curry. As for the Raptors, it seems like they're going to fetch another big man in the buyout market, with Tristan Thompson, Robin Lopez, and Paul Millsap as potential options.
