What Ayton offer sheet means for Collin Sexton and the Cavs
What Ayton offer sheet means for Cavs: Dumping contracts on Pacers
The Cleveland Cavaliers currently have 15 players on their roster, which is the maximum number they can carry into the season (they can sign up to 20 for now). Unless Collin Sexton walks for nothing, to either bring him back or sign-and-trade him for another player the Cavs will eventually need to move at least one contract.
On top of that, their contract for Ricky Rubio has put them at $137 million in total salary, which puts them around $13 million below the luxury tax line. It’s unlikely that Sexton would return for such a low number on a long-term deal; he would likely just take the $7.2 million qualifying offer and hit unrestricted free agency next summer.
Therefore, to bring back Sexton the Cavs need to open up a spot and some money, and the simplest route to both of those would be to “pay” another team to take on the salary of Dylan Windler. The talented wing has battled injuries and inefficiency and at this point just doesn’t look like a part of the Cavs’ long-term future. Sending the Pacers a second-round pick and some cash to take on Windler’s $4 million for next season would seem to be a no-brainer deal for both sides.
The Cavs could pursue other options, including moving Cedi Osman with Windler to another team for a player who makes less money than the two combined. That could allow them to add veteran depth at the 3 or convert one of their two-way deals for R.J. Nembhard or Isaiah Mobley into a full contract (to then use the two-way slot on another player). Having the Pacers as a potential landing spot for salary opens up the options for the Cavs to put the finishing touches on their roster.
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A Western Conference contender matching an offer sheet for their young center placed by an Eastern Conference bottom-dweller doesn’t seem like it would mean much for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but it certainly did. It will be fascinating to see how the Cavs and Collin Sexton move forward from here.