Cavs Expected To Match Outside Offers For Collin Sexton

The Cavaliers are expected to match any outside offers for guard Collin Sexton, within reason, as relayed by Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.

Sexton is a restricted free agent, meaning the Cavs could allow another team to set his market value by floating an offer — then simply match and keep him.

Sexton is reportedly seeking upwards of $20 million annually, which was higher than the Cavs’ initial offer of three years and in the $51 million range, per Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

That Cavs’ offer is higher than two opposing executives told Mannix than what they would offer him.

“The Cavs are expected to match reasonable offers for Sexton — two execs pegged Sexton’s value at $10-12 million per season — increasing the chances that Sexton, a 24-point per game scorer in ’20-21, returns to Cleveland,” Mannix wrote.

The Cavs’ goal is to re-sign Sexton and have him back in the fold after he was sidelined for all but 11 games last season.

The Wizards, Pistons and Knicks are among those that have been linked to Sexton, though he seems to be a Plan B in all of those places. With the Cavs, he’s Plan A.

Sources told Hoops Wire that the Mavericks could also make a serious run at Sexton should they lose Jalen Brunson to the Knicks.

“But while Sexton is believed to covet upwards of $20 million on the open market, Cleveland presented a deal closer to Jordan Clarkson‘s three-year, $51 million back during early extension conversations,” Fischer wrote.

Another thing the Cavs have working in their favor is a lot of teams are up against it in terms of salary cap. So theoretically that will make large outside offers few and far between.

Sexton led the Cavs in scoring in 2020-21 at 24.3 points, then again last season before the injury at 16.0 points. In his absence, fellow guard Darius Garland became an All-Star. Garland and Sexton are both represented by agent Rich Paul, and it is believed that Garland really wants Sexton back in Cleveland.

he Cavs do have a little bit of leverage, as they acquired Caris LeVert at the trade deadline, and figure he will be even better with a full training camp under his belt. Isaac Okoro, Cedi Osman and lottery pick Ochai Agbaji also play Sexton’s position — though sources have told Hoops Wire the Cavs are looking to trade Osman.

Either way, that was just the Cavs’ first offer to Sexton, and their plan is to keep him. By all accounts, Sexton prefers to return. So both sides have that working for them.