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Ja Morant and Nic Claxton once were AAU teammates. Could they pair up with the Grizzlies?
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- Ja Morant and Nic Claxton once were AAU teammates. Could they pair up with the Grizzlies?
Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton was the last player to leave the FedExForum court Monday night.
After the Nets defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 111-86, Claxton walked over to the courtside seats occupied by the friends and family of Ja Morant . Claxton spoke with Morant's father, Tee, and close friend Davonte Pack.
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The connection is South Carolina. After Morant, Pack and Claxton finished their junior seasons of high school basketball, the trio played on an AAU team together in summer 2016. This was another chance for Claxton to reflect on the journey since then.
"It's always good," Claxton told The Commercial Appeal. "Family ties. SC ties. It's good to chop it up with your people.
"Playing that last year of AAU with (Morant) and seeing where he is now with his career and everything he has achieved so early, it's definitely good to see."
Claxton was a lanky 6-foot-9 forward generating major college interest, and Morant was a skinny guard who had not yet gotten the bounce that has helped him become one of the NBA's most explosive players. Now Morant is one of the top point guards in the league and Claxton has turned into one of the game's best defensive centers.
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"I didn't see him being the player that he is now with the athleticism," Claxton said. "He was always talented, skilled, could always really pass the ball. When he got that athleticism, he just started to take off."
Claxton stepped on the floor Monday in a pair of "Hunger" Ja 1's. He has been one of the most active non-Grizzlies players in the NBA this season in wearing Morant's signature shoe .
Morant helped Claxton get his first pair of Ja 1's before the first retail release in 2023. Claxton began wearing the shoe during the summer before breaking out multiple pairs of Ja 1's in NBA games.
"It's a dope shoe," he said. "I'm always going to support dudes that I played with that have been a part of my journey. The shoe's also real comfortable, and I just got to support SC, I got to support my brother."
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Claxton was a problem for the Grizzlies. He finished with 10 points and made all five of his shots in 21 minutes. The most impressive part of his performance came on defense. The Nets held Jaren Jackson Jr. to 2-for-12 shooting and his lowest scoring total (15 points) since Jan. 24. Claxton finished with three blocks.
"He's been a good defender for years," Jackson said. "I just did a horrible job of balance. Just giving him way too many opportunities to get the ball. My technique was not good."
Claxton has a major decision on his hands this offseason when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. With his ability to rebound and defend multiple positions, he's expected to garner a pay bump after making $8.7 million this season.
The Grizzlies traded away two of their centers, Xavier Tillman Sr. and Steven Adams , in the days before the trade deadline. Jackson has spent most of the past few weeks at center, and the Grizzlies are hoping Brandon Clarke , who has been recovering from an Achilles injury, will be able to play before the season ends. If Jackson moves back to power forward, the center position will be one of the Grizzlies' top offseason needs.
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And there likely will be a center on the open market with a notable connection to the Grizzlies' biggest star.
"He's good for that team," Jackson said of Claxton. "He's doing his thing. Who knows, man. I can play alongside a lot of different types of players. Credit to what he's doing over there."
Could Claxton be an option for the Grizzlies this offseason?
"We'll see," Claxton said.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Nic Claxton talks South Carolina link to Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant
