Cavs Still Interested In Extension For Collin Sexton Despite Sticking Point

The Cavaliers remain interested in signing guard Collin Sexton to a contract extension despite experiencing a sticking point in talks in October, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Sexton had been seeking a four-year contract in the range of $100 million, while the Cavs were looking to add a fifth year, Charania reported, via RealGM.

“This seems a little odd, since any rookie scale extension covering five years has to be worth the maximum salary,” noted Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors. “But perhaps Charania meant that the Cavs preferred to wait until free agency to work something out with Sexton, since they can offer a five-year, non-max deal at that point.”

In case you missed it, Sexton is expected to miss an extended period of time after an MRI revealed a torn meniscus in his left knee. (Full post.)

Nonetheless, Sexton and the Cavs have gotten off to a strong start after offseason additions to the roster — such as rookie Evan Mobley, Ricky Rubio and Lauri Markkanen — have proved fruitful.

Sexton, 22, is 6-foot-1 and led the Cavs in scoring last season with an average of 24.3 points. He is averaging 16.0 points and 3.3 rebounds through 11 games this season.

The Cavs reportedly explored the idea of trading him this past offseason, though sources told Hoops Wire no deal was ever close.

Many around the NBA seem to think he is best suited for a sparkplug role off the bench, a la the Hawks’ Lou Williams. But for now, the Cavs are content with Sexton paired alongside young point guard Darius Garland as the starting backcourt.

League sources have also told Hoops Wire they could see Sexton being traded before the February All-Star Game in Cleveland, or perhaps during the offseason as a restricted free agent, in a move similar to the one the Pelicans made with Lonzo Ball (sent to the Bulls) over the summer.

Many others seem to believe that Sexton and the Cavs will come to agreement on an extension, especially if the Cavs and their young nucleus continue down their current path of competitive basketball.

Nonetheless, questions remain about how comfortable Sexton is with a role that consists of something beyond scoring.

“Sexton’s hustle and competitive fire is unmistakable, and by all accounts he is a great teammate,” opined Josh Cornelissen of Fansided. “Yet Sexton doesn’t want to just be part of an ensemble cast, he wants to be the leading man.”