Raise the Roof: Why the Cavs should trade Collin Sexton

Why the Cavs should trade Collin Sexton: Breakout stars need the ball

The Cleveland Cavaliers are no longer simply trawling for talent. This season the team has broken out in a major way, with a trio of rising stars who look good enough to propel this team into contention down the line. Whether Sexton was healthy or not, it has become obvious that the future of this team offensively is Darius Garland, flanked by Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

That is the reason this team doesn’t need a floor-raiser anymore; their floor is exceptionally high with those three players. Sexton can certainly provide offensive value on the court with Garland or running the show when he is off the court, but that value is mitigated. It doesn’t make sense for Sexton to get a high number of touches when Garland and Mobley can (and will down the line) do more with them. Yet take the ball out of his hands, and Sexton doesn’t provide much off-ball, certainly not enough to justify his defensive limitations.

This isn’t meant to disparage Sexton; he is a really talented player with a gift to score the basketball. Yet the offense plays better running through Garland as a playmaker, who in just his third season is expertly running the pick-and-roll, knowing when to shoot from deep, when to drive for a floater, and when to hit Allen for the alley-oop dunk. Mobley is still learning, but his ability to make plays passing and scoring from the elbow is special.

Moving forward the ball belongs in their hands, not Sexton’s. His specific collection of skills doesn’t help a team where he is the third option — at least not enough. His size (6’1″) and lack of defensive impact make him best suited in a bench role, perhaps alongside a larger point guard with good defensive chops. If Sexton was paid like a solid bench player and willing to accept that role, and the Cavs could find the right partner for him, Sexton could play a role in helping this team compete. Yet that is a bitter pill to swallow for a player averaging 24.3 points per game last season, and it may lead to issues down the road.

Instead, the Cavs should trade Sexton. He has value to teams who need either the bench scorer or their floor raised as they navigate a retooling season. The Cavs can get back a player who better fits with their young trio, a player who is scaleable to their situation and helps drive winning. What kind of player would that be?