Smokescreen season has officially begun. As we continue to near draft day, it’s hard to find players not pummeled in draft rumors. For this week’s batch up reports, Collin Sexton has made the headlines — and Oklahoma City has been pegged as a suitor.
As first reported by Sam Amico of HoopsWire, Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton has reportedly received trade interest from the Heat, Knicks, Pelicans, Pacers, Thunder, and Lakers.
Sexton, age 22, ended his 2020-21 campaign posting career numbers with 24.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in 60 appearances.
For the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sexton has been the franchise’s cornerstone guard ever since he was selected in 2018, but his future contract does spell some question marks.
As one of the hottest 22-year-old’s in the league, Sexton is expected to garner a near-max contract after his rookie scale deal concludes next season. That’s a hoop Cleveland may simply, not want to deal with.
The Cavaliers hold the no. 3 selection in the upcoming draft meaning if the organization finds a guard better suited to their liking — Sexton may be available. And as Jason Lloyd of The Athletic put it, he believes the guard is “very available” in trade discussions.
The consensus top 4 picks in the upcoming draft class revolve around guards Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, and Jalen Suggs while USC’s Evan Mobley sits in his own category in the frontcourt. It is all but written that Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham will be selected first by the Detroit Pistons, but if the Houston Rockets nab Evan Mobley at pick no. 2 — a trade between their selection or one of their current guards seems like a possibility.
If Sexton were to hit the market, Oklahoma City’s first round selections at 6, 16, and 18 (18 first-round picks until 2027) plus a lump some of cap space help to drive themselves into frontrunners solely on assets. In any hypothetical, an exchange could involve Sexton and 32-year-old forward Kevin Love who is currently on a 2-year, $60 million deal.
As of now, it is best to consider any move between Oklahoma City and Collin Sexton as nothing more than a smokescreen. Rumors will always sprout in the weeks leading upto the draft. However, keeping an eye out for Cleveland’s guard situation may not be such a bad idea.