Cavs: 3 things to know about a contract for Collin Sexton

Cavs: 3 things to know about a contract for Collin Sexton – Deadline for extension

When an NBA first-round pick enters the league, they are subject to a specific contract structure. It is scaled to the draft slot for the player, and it includes two guaranteed seasons, with a team option for two more years to be triggered a year ahead of time. So last year before Sexton’s third season, the team had the option to decline the fourth year of his contract.

The Cavs obviously did not do that, and won’t this offseason with Darius Garland’s contract either. Now with just one season left on his contract, Sexton (like his fellow 2018 draftees) is eligible for a contract extension on his rookie deal. He became eligible on the first day of free agency, and he will remain eligible until the last day before the season begins, October 18th.

In the past, that deadline extended to the end of October, and teams got a few games more with which to evaluate players. Whether that extra time was deemed superfluous, or it was seen as a distraction for teams and players at the start of a new year, it was moved up in the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to the day before the season begins.

Sexton and the Cavs therefore have around three weeks to agree to an extension. If they do not, then he will play out this final season of his deal and enter the offseason as a “restricted” free agent, which means that the Cavs have the right to match any contract Sexton signs with another team. It most likely won’t be until after that contract that Sexton is completely free to sign with any team that he likes.