When a team faces a rebuilding situation, the team usually opts to keep young players for a long time, especially if they view them as a centerpiece of their franchise. The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted Collin Sexton in the 2018 NBA draft with the No. 8 overall picks, seemingly to make him the starting point guard of the future. While Collin Sexton is still developing his ability to run the floor, he has certainly looked promising over his career. This season, Sexton averaged 24.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 4.4 APG. Those are solid numbers for a third-year player.
Despite Collin Sexton improving his scoring every season, it seems as though the young star could be on the move. Terry Pluto of cleveland.com has reported that an NBA executive believes that the Cleveland Cavaliers could end up moving Sexton. The executive mentions that Sexton is good, but not a max player. It seems as though the main issue here is the contract.
An NBA executive suggested the Cavs could consider that because it’s a salary cap crusher to pay Allen and Sexton both long-term contracts over $100 million. This guy likes Sexton as a player, but not on a maximum contract.
As I wrote last weekend, Sexton may want something like the five-year, $163 million deal Sacramento gave guard De’Aaron Fox in 2020. Their stats as similar. But is Sexton a maximum contract player simply because the Kings gave the money to Fox?
Also, Garland has made major progress, but missed 18 games due to injury this season. He had knee surgery in the summer of 2019. Durability is an issue. I like Okoro and Garland for the future. Perhaps the Cavs could consider combining them with Allen (assuming he signs an extension) and explore the trade market for Sexton.
Or else, they can simply wait another year on Sexton. He isn’t a restricted free agent until the summer of 2022.
It remains to be seen what the Cleveland Cavaliers actually end up moving Collin Sexton. He is an extremely talented scorer, and you don’t find that type of player every day. At the end of the day, teams need to keep their talent, and Collin Sexton has shown himself to be a player with a bright future.
