When it comes to Collin Sexton, the Cavaliers and their talks of a new contract, well, it’s still a case of nothing doing.
The sides remain quite a ways apart, and it very well could drag on into training camp in late September.
As Hoops Wire first reported, negotiations have not been contentious, something that was also relayed by Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. But again, the sides remain at the same standstill that’s been going on since the start of free agency.
Sexton is a restricted free agent, meaning the Cavs can match any offer from another team and keep him. It seems the Cavs are offering a deal of around $40 million of three years — while Sexton and agent Rich Paul are seeking something along the lines of $20 million annually, at least.
For Sexton, no offers from opposing teams have been floated, and we’re considerably more than a month into free agency.
Sexton led the Cavs in scoring at 16.0 points before being lost for the season to a torn MCL, appeared in just 11 games. The Cavs went on to finish with the eighth-best record in the Eastern Conference without him, and Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen went on to become All-Stars. Garland, for what it’s worth, is also a Paul client.
Either way, Paul insists that Sexton deserves a starting guard salary, given that’s what Sexton has been his entire career. He averaged 24.3 points in 2020-21, and willingly took a step back in his shot attempts last season for the good of the team. While his scoring average decreased, he may have proven to be a better fit than ever prior to the injury.
It should be noted that the Jazz are still closely monitoring the Sexton situation, and the Wizards are among those with him on their radar, sources said. Utah, however, is has prioritized a trade centered on Donovan Mitchell. Sexton is merely on their radar.
Still, the Cavs want him back. For now, though, their philosophy appears to be this: “Here’s our offer. Go ahead and see if you can do better.”
That has led to a bit of a stalemate that continues to march on, as neither Paul nor Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman are moving off their demands, Fedor relayed.
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I dont agree with this notion that they are far apart. As far as I can tell the Cavs and Klutch are both fully aware that Sexton is worth more when healthy on the open market next summer than the market says right now, and that he will likely play on the QO, which could benefit both parties if the Cavs are prepared to pay him what the market yeilds, after a healthy season anyway.
Right now if the org is unable to unload salary via Osman or someone else one foot out the door, it seems obvious Sexton won’t get a better offer than the 3-40 they already put on the table. So odds are good he will in fact take the Qual offer and look for a better salary in UFA.
Does that mean they are far apart? I don’t see how him not accepting the most they could offer him in a multiyear deal at far less than starter pay while avoiding the tax prior to moving other salary off the books means that at all.
I think they are just not going to fairly pay him right now because of the tax implications especially after getting the barrel treatment from Klutch on DG’s contract, which for all intensive purposes was strangely egregious in nature and even if he is worth that much didn’t need to pay him that much,not ever. Why pay Garland 190 for 5 with possible 230 when the MOST any other team could have offerred DG was around 135 next summer which of course the Cavs could have matched and saved potential 100 mil??? weird way to build a contender if you ask me.