5 rumored moves for Cavs this offseason that would be mistakes

5 rumored moves for Cavs: Giving Sexton a massive contract

Collin Sexton was drafted by this team, the first major piece of the Cavs’ second post-LeBron James rebuild. He has developed into a dynamic scoring threat with the ball in his hands, and over four seasons and 218 games with the Cavs has averaged 20 points per game.

That kind of production for a player on a rookie contract almost always motivates his team to back up the truck and pay the man, but the Cavs were hesitant to give him a lucrative extension last season. That was likely in part because of the potential of fellow small-guard Darius Garland, and in part because of Sexton’s deficiencies as a defender and playmaker.

Garland’s potential blossomed into production, and the Cavs now have an All-Star at point guard. What does that mean for Sexton? The team wants to keep him around, according to reports and Koby Altman himself, but surely they understand that Garland and Sexton are not the foundation of a contending backcourt given their lack of size and Sexton’s weaknesses as an off-ball player or general ceiling-raiser.

Sexton looks like an extremely-talented Sixth Man, the kind of guard who comes in off the bench to run the offense and score in bunches. That’s not the kind of player you pay $20 million per season or more for. Do the Cavs stick to their guns and try to pay Sexton as a bench player, or do they capitulate to keep him around? How do other interested teams leverage this negotiation in one direction or the other?

Whatever they do, the Cavs can’t lock themselves into a lucrative long-term deal for Collin Sexton. It will immediately limit their ceiling and prevent them from becoming true contenders.