Cavs: Where does Collin Sexton rank among the NBA’s shooting guards?

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a very talented player in their backcourt, a product of their own developmental system who has stepped up to lead the Cavs in total points scored all three seasons he has been in the league. There is no question that Collin Sexton can score the basketball.

There is more to playing in the NBA than scoring, however, and that makes things murkier for the Cavs as they consider the future with Sexton. As is the case for the rest of his draft class, as a 2018 first-round pick Sexton is now eligible for a contract extension, and if he does not sign one before the season begins he will be a restricted free agent next summer.

To negotiate a contract with Collin Sexton, the Cavs must evaluate him against his fellow shooting guards around the league

How much Sexton is worth is influenced by a number of factors, from his production to his upside to his injury history, as well as the salary cap, the team’s financial situation moving forward, and where they fall in their timeline.

To properly frame Sexton’s value, the Cavs must also look outside of their team and around the league. Where does Sexton currently rank among the NBA’s shooting guards? At just 22 years old Sexton clearly has upside to continue improving, but so do many of his peers. If the Cavs are going to pay Sexton $20 million per season or more, they should probably have an idea of whether he is the 8th-best shooting guard in the league of the 28th.

To that end, let’s try to provide some context to where Sexton currently stands. In a year’s time this exercise might see him rise up this list, but for now it’s a reflection of where he falls at this moment. We’ll start at the top of the position and work our way down to Sexton.