The Chicago Bulls made their first move of the offseason late Monday night. While the rest of the world was awaiting news of a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, the Bulls swooped in with a deal of their own, landing Nic Claxton in a trade that sent Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets and allowed Brooklyn to move up five spots in the Draft.
Here are the initial details of the trade, as reported by Shams Charania:
Just in: Minnesota is sending Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick in the NBA Draft to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team trade that sends Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls, sources tell ESPN. The Timberwolves will acquire Brooklyn’s No. 33 pick for Randle and No. 28. pic.twitter.com/TvADMMNDlg
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2026
It was later revealed that Chicago would be shipping off power forward Mouhamadou Gueye in exchange for Claxton. Needless to say, it was a steal for Bryson Graham and the new front office. Chicago has long sought a solution at center, and Claxton will provide that over the remaining two years and $44 million remaining on his contract.
But Claxton also provides more than simply a rim-protecting presence. He operated, in part, as an offensive hub with Brooklyn last year, and that development in his game could provide a whole new wrinkle to the Bulls' offense.
Nic Claxton could quickly become more than just a defensive center for the Bulls
Don't get it wrong. Claxton's primary skill-set is his defense and help-side shot blocking, and that's what will be of the most value to Chicago. Before the trade, they didn't have a true center on the roster. Claxton fills that gap easily, and he's been pretty consistently healthy over the past few seasons.
His offensive game has also improved over the years. In 2025-26, he averaged 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting an efficient 57.1% from the floor. His greatest advancement last season, though, was as a ball-handler and passer under Jordi Fernandez's revamped scheme.
Claxton's assist percentage last year reached a career-high 21.8%— a major leap from the 13.7% he posted in 2024-25. While his usage took just a minor leap, Claxton was utilized much more often in inverted actions and in initiating fast breaks. To have a defensive-rebounding big who can push the pace in transition is an invaluable asset, one that will allow the Bulls to take some of the defensive pressure off of Josh Giddey and maximize both his and Buzelis' off-ball shooting abilities.
For context, Giddey shot 38.1% on catch-and-shoot threes in 2025-26, while Buzelis shot 36.5%.
There's also room for Claxton to continue growing under new Bulls head coach Tiago Splitter. Donovan Clingan made major advancements as a connective passer under Splitter last year with the Portland Trail Blazers, maximizing his reliability even as his usage went up.
Splitter, therefore, has the option to implement Claxton either in an on-ball or off-ball capacity. It gives the Bulls' offense a versatility that frankly wasn't there in their last iteration.
Add us as a preferred source on Google