Most mentions of Nic Claxton come with a caveat.

But underneath the disclaimer that the rookie needs to mature physically and fill out his 6-foot-11 frame comes excitement over the potential for the Nets’ latest draft pick to become their next uncovered gem.

“How should I say this?” coach Kenny Atkinson said Wednesday. “I’m very, very excited about Nic. I think we all understand he’s got to get stronger and needs experience, but the raw talent, we really have something to work with there. I’m pleasantly, pleasantly surprised.”

The coach isn’t the only one. Those who have gone up against him early in training camp see it, too.

“I love Nic,” veteran center DeAndre Jordan said. “Nic kind of reminds me of Chris Bosh a little bit. He’s left-handed, he’s skilled. He can go inside and out. I think the sky’s the limit for him once he learns the game and becomes more of a student of the game, gets his body into the game. I think he’s gonna be great.”

It is still too early to tell how much of a role Claxton will play for the Nets this season, or whether the 31st-overall pick in June’s draft will spend most of it developing with G-League Long Island. Atkinson said he has the ability to play both the four and five positions, giving him flexibility that could improve his chances of finding minutes. The Nets already have a good battle at center with Jordan and Jarrett Allen, but with Wilson Chandler facing a 25-game suspension for PEDs and Rodions Kurucs’ (assault charge) status to be determined, it’s possible there could be opportunity behind Taurean Prince at the four.

The Nets have a physical plan in place to build up Claxton — he is listed at 220 pounds — but Atkinson is not letting that limit what he expects from him this season.

“We don’t want to just throw him out there for 40 minutes until he’s ready physically,” Atkinson said. “But he could be a guy that surprises. I’ve said it before, ‘This young guy will spend a lot of time in the G-League.’ I’m not going to say [that]. You don’t know. He could surprise and be in Brooklyn. We’ll see about that.”

Claxton said he didn’t have any expectations yet for where he was going to play this season, but he has spent the early days of training camp acting like “a sponge,” learning from Jordan and Allen.

“I’m just going to hoop, wherever I am,” said Claxton, who could make his debut in Friday’s preseason opener. “Whether it’s Long Island or whether it’s in Brooklyn, I’m just going to do whatever I can to become better. At the end of the day, I know I’ll be here in the NBA to stay for a long time.”

The Nets have not had the luxury of picking from the highest crop of prospects in recent years, but have still found a way to produce their share of draft success stories, with Kurucs (40th pick), Allen (22nd) and Caris LeVert (20th) serving as examples. Kurucs and Allen were expected to spend time in the G-League developing as rookies but instead earned roles with the Nets early.

Atkinson praised Claxton, a former high school point guard who now has a 7-3 wingspan, for his motor and instincts. The next step is making sure his body is ready for the NBA.

“I’ve definitely gotten a lot stronger,” Claxton said. “It’s not all just throwing a whole bunch of weight on me at one time, but working on my core strength, working on my legs, just overall strength, making sure I’m sticking to that. The sky’s the limit for me.”