With the pre-deadline deal that shipped big man Steven Adams out to the Houston Rockets, the Memphis Grizzlies created a stark vacancy at their center position.
As things currently stand, the ball club does not seem to have any semblance of a long-term replacement option for the veteran, which has led GM Zach Kleiman to publicly hint that the front office will look to address this positional need during the upcoming offseason.
While there's currently no clear direction Memphis seems to be leaning toward when it comes to how they'll look to fill this void down at the pivot, recently rumblings have started to surface suggesting that Brooklyn Nets big Nic Claxton could prove to be a viable option for the team to pursue.
A highly athletic, defensive-oriented talent, the 24-year-old is a player many believe could fit in seamlessly within this Grizzlies lineup due to his skill set, age, and relationship with centerpiece Ja Morant that dates as far back as high school when the two played on the same AAU team down in South Carolina.
Though free agency is still several months away, following Memphis' recent bout against the Nets earlier this week beat reporter Damichael Cole asked Claxton if he had any interest in playing with the point guard again at some point in their professional careers.
In response, all while avoiding any tampering violations, the big provided a two-word statement that could prove to be enough to get Grizzlies fans excited.
"We'll see."Nic Claxton
Nic Claxton issues 2-word statement on idea of signing with Grizzlies
Ja🤝Clax https://t.co/xJv8CexWFK
— NBA University (@NBA_University) February 18, 2024
Earlier this month, Morant sparked a bit of buzz about a possible interest of his own in teamming up with the center when he was seen liking a post praising his talents and impending free agency on X (formerly Twitter).
Though it may only be speculation, such an offseason addition could be exactly what this team needs to thrust themselves back into the title contender conversation ahead of 2024-25.
Currently in his fifth season in the association, Claxton has established himself as one of the best rim protectors the game has to offer and boasts impressive per-game averages of 12.0 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks while shooting a highly efficient 62.6 percent from the floor.