It’s been an offseason of rumors and noise — from Kevin Durant to Donovan Mitchell to anything involving LeBron James and the Lakers.
But one topic we haven’t heard much about is the Cavaliers and restricted free agent Collin Sexton, and we are nearly into the start of free agency.
Most of the big names have been signed. That includes Deandre Ayton, the other higher profile restricted free agent, who signed a massive offer sheet with the Pacers, then had it matched by the Suns.
On the other hand, it doesn’t seem as if anyone is lining up to prepare an offer sheet for Sexton. Yes, there has been interest, mostly from the Jazz, and some from the Heat. But the Cavs don’t seem interested in Jazz guard Mike Conley (as we relayed here), and the Heat are considerably more focused on Durant and Mitchell.
For most opposing teams, Sexton is a Plan B or even C. The market is proving to be limited. As one former coach said, free agency can be a humbling experience for some players.
For the Cavs, of course, Sexton remains the offseason priority … but as I’ve written, contract talks can get tricky.
That seems to be where the Cavs, Sexton and agent Rich Paul are now. They are still a little apart on what Sexton should earn over the next two or three seasons. Not miles apart, but enough that this could drag on for a bit.
“I asked someone yesterday about Collin Sexton. And I was told there was nothing new to report there,” Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer said on a recent podcast.
And for the Cavs and Sexton, that about sums it up.
Sexton, 23, appeared in just 11 games last season before suffering a torn MCL. At the time, he was averaging a team-best 16.0 points. He averaged 24.3 points in 2020-21.
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The stats last season are meaningless factors overall. Everyone in the Cavs front office is just hoping he wants to take a massive discount, since he is coming off injury, and play on the QO.So then they can pay him what the market dictates next summer as a bench player, since that is how they see him on the current roster and will use him this season if he does not sign any deal beyond the QO. He could get starts and be considered a bargain over time if he agrees to play on a 3 yr salary far less than DG got and work towards a nice 3rd contract. However would you? I think his value even as the 6th man on this team all season especially if he is back to himself fast, earns a lot more than the Cavs are willing to pay him right now based on injured season market value and probably more than they can afford to pay him next summer as a result of their malpractice with the Garland contract. What is laughable is how both are Klutch clients.
Now they are offerring him 3 years at around the same salary as DG makes in 1 season they clearly are off their rockers and deserve to lose after they lose him to free agency next summer because he would be a fool to take their offer unless it’s negotiatied down to a 1+1 or something where he can get more if he earns more