25-year-old defensive ace floated as Wizards ‘dream’ free agency target

The Washington Wizards are in the midst of a full-on rebuild. While Jordan Poole was an interesting add, it’s now clear that the real stars of their revamped roster are Deni Avdija and Bilal Coulibaly.

With that in mind, adding new young pieces to their core should be a priority. Though they likely won’t be competing for the postseason anytime soon, they should always be looking to expand their pool of talented young players.

Marvin Bagley III had a solid end to the season last year, but expanding their options at the center position could be a good idea this summer, especially after trading away Daniel Gafford, who is now in the NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks.

Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report suggested that the Wizards could target Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton in free agency, listing him as their potential “dream” target.

“The 25-year-old center is an elite defender and strong rebounder who can clean up a lot of the mistakes that the young Wizards will continue to make on both ends. If Washington ends up trading Kyle Kuzma this summer, Claxton could receive a larger offensive role.”

This past year, the Wizards suffered through their worst season in franchise history, and their defense was the third-worst in the NBA. They were ahead of only the Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets.

Washington allowed their opponents to shoot 68.0% within five feet of the basket this past year, which was tied with the Portland Trail Blazers for the worst mark in the NBA.

Bringing in Claxton would help them completely reshape their outlook on the defensive end of the floor. His top-notch shot-blocking and defensive feel would give Washington a new look down low.

In addition, he would help the Wizards by providing them with a lob threat on the offensive end. Who will be throwing him the lobs is unknown, as the Wizards could swap out some pieces this summer, but he’d be ready to catch them nonetheless.

The Nets undoubtedly want to keep Claxton around, but overpaying for his rim protection wouldn’t be a terrible idea for the Wizards.