With about two months to go before the start of training camp, the Cleveland Cavaliers still haven’t found a resolution to the Collin Sexton situation.
The guard is still an unrestricted free agent, and he hasn’t found an offer that he deems satisfactory yet.
The Cavs have reportedly offered him a contract worth $40 million over three years, but Sexton wants substantially more than that.
Therein lies the apparent stalemate between both sides right now.
According to a report, Sexton and his camp are now looking elsewhere for a better contract offer.
“Sources say that Sexton’s camp is holding out hope for an offer sheet from another team,” Evan Dammarell of Right Down Euclid wrote. “But, those same sources say the market has dried up for him and most teams that might be interested in him would rather wait out things and strike when his value is at its lowest.”
With each passing day, it seems the likelihood of Sexton remaining in The Land grows smaller and smaller.
Do The Cavs Need Sexton?
Sexton has developed into a very good and skilled scoring guard in his four seasons in the NBA, putting up good numbers on solid efficiency.
I'm not the biggest Collin Sexton fan but 3 years, $40-million is insulting.
I get the ACL tear but 20+ point scorers don't grow on trees:
Y1: 17-3-3 on 44-40-84 (82 games)
Y2: 21-3-3 on 47-38-85 (65)
Y3: 24-3-4 on 48-37-82 (60)
Y4: 16-3-2 on 45-24-74 (11)Bet on yourself 💪 pic.twitter.com/D7rbWGNIBB
— The Front Office (@NBASkoolOfThort) July 24, 2022
This past season, he suffered a meniscus injury that limited him to just 11 games, but at age 23, one may expect him to show no real ill effects of the ailment after it has fully recovered.
As the Cavs stand right now, their cornerstones are Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, and to a somewhat lesser extent, big man Jarrett Allen.
Incoming rookie Ochai Agbaji has some intriguing athleticism and overall potential, but it’s tricky to project how a player such as him who was taken towards the middle of the first round of the draft will pan out in the NBA.
Other than veteran big man Kevin Love, Cleveland doesn’t really have anyone on its bench who can come into a game and give it instant offense.
That’s exactly what Sexton does.
However, although he has improved in this department, he is not a particularly good passer, nor does he have the mindset of actively looking to get others involved.
On the other hand, that may not be a problem if head coach J.B. Bickerstaff were to move him to a sixth-man role.
But the biggest flaw in Sexton’s game is that at 6-foot-1, he is not a strong defender, and starting him alongside Garland, who is also a small guard, would be risky on the defensive end.
If the Cavs end up getting a good return for him, including a guard who can provide instant offense off the bench, Sexton may be a luxury for them.
A New Team May Be Interested In Sexton
The Utah Jazz have been reported to be interested in doing a sign-and-trade with Cleveland for Sexton, although Cleveland’s interest in such a deal seems lukewarm at best.
But now, the Washington Wizards may want to get in on the sweepstakes.
The Washington Wizards reached out to the Cleveland Cavaliers today to discuss a potential Collin Sexton trade
Both sides previously discussed a trade weeks ago but couldn’t agree on a deal
Cleveland is reportedly seeking a first round pick and young talent for Sexton #NBA pic.twitter.com/u1AqyTLp78
— We Talk Hoops 🏀 (@WeTalkHooops) August 1, 2022
Right now, it seems as if very few teams this offseason have been willing to take on any real risk as far as signing a big free agent or making a big trade, other than the Minnesota Timberwolves, who traded tons of draft capital for Rudy Gobert.
The best the Cavs may be able to hope for at this point is that Sexton agrees to play this coming season on the qualifying offer that is available to him, then become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
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