Cavs And Pacers Have Talked, But Not Yet About Collin Sexton

December 12, 2021

The Cavaliers have been considerably hot lately, having won seven of nine and looking very good even in defeat.

But they may not be a finished product, suggested Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

In fact, the Cavs (16-12) could still potentially make a move ahead of the Feb. 10 trade deadline to improve their playoff chances/position even more.

For starters, the Cavs are looking for a shooting guard to help replace the loss of Collin Sexton, out for the season after knee surgery. And per Vardon, the Pacers like Sexton.

This is news because the Pacers have also reportedly made shooting guard Caris LeVert available (as well as power forward Domantas Sabonis and center Myles Turner). Apparently, Indiana is looking to move veterans for picks and young players with upside.

Sexton certainly fits the definition of the latter. He averaged 24.1 points last season to lead the Cavs, and was at 16 points in 11 games this season before the injury.

The decrease in output sounds a lot worse than it was, though. Sexton willingly took a step back and proved that he could be a fit — while still being a major contributor — as the Cavs started to take flight.

Still, the LeVert rumors are out there, and he has taken a bit of a step back from last season (from 20.7 to 15.5 points) as the Pacers give rookie Chris Duarte a real chance.

LeVert, 27, is also 6-foot-6, five inches taller than Sexton. As an aside, LeVert is a former teammate of Cavs center Jarrett Allen when the two were with the Nets, and Allen is said to be a LeVert fan.

Would the Cavs actually consider a deal centered on LeVert and Sexton? Perhaps. One league source has told Hoops Wire the Cavs “aren’t there yet” when it comes to messing with a roster that, clearly, has been working.

For the record, Vardon never reported that the Cavs and Pacers have talked about Sexton. But he did report that the sides have indeed spoken. There’s no question Cleveland has an interest in LeVert. What the Cavs will do about it, if anything, remains to be seen.

As for the Pacers, it’s hard to know if they would commit to Sexton beyond this season, or if they would insist on also receiving a draft pick — as Sexton is coming off an injury and will be a restricted free agent in July.

“Vardon isn’t sure if the Pacers will commit to him in light of the injury, although it could allow them to re-sign him to a shorter, low-cost deal while he works his way back,” wrote Arthur Hill of Hoops Rumors.

For now, any Sexton-LeVert swap can be considered a long shot. But how the Cavs fare from here on out very well could factor into changing that.