The Cleveland Cavaliers have created something of a pickle for themselves. They have made a series of decisions, each defensible at the time, that have led them to a standstill with Collin Sexton, and currently there is no word of a resolution between the young shooting guard and the Cavs.
They first drafted Darius Garland the year after Sexton, effectively replacing him at point guard and opening the door for Garland to pass him in the pecking order, which he did last season. They traded for Lauri Markkanen last offseason and Caris LeVert at the trade deadline, eliminating any room under the luxury tax. Finally, between LeVert and the drafting of Ochai Agbaji, the Cavs have stocked their shooting guard room even before bringing Sexton back.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Collin Sexton are at an impasse. Which wings around the league should the Cavs look into trading their young guard for?
Add all of that up, and it’s no wonder Sexton doesn’t want to return to the team right now. He’s being offered just thirteen million per season, a paltry number for a player who averaged 24.3 points per game, and is unlikely to start. From the Cavs’ side, the offer is a reasonable deal for a small bench guard, which is the role they have set aside for Sexton, and that’s all the room they have left under the luxury tax.
The two teams can still agree to a number to formally bring Sexton back, but both sides should also be canvassing the league for trade partners. The Cavs need off-ball 3-and-D wings to fill out their rotation. Here are three such players who might be available for trade on teams that could justify paying Collin Sexton. Let’s look at why each is a potential option for the Cavs and for Sexton.
Cavs should try to trade Collin Sexton for Gary Harris
The Orlando Magic might be closer to competing for wins than many think. With Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac healthy or at least close to it, they are surprisingly deep at a number of positions with NBA rotation players, with a young dynamic core in place around first overall pick Paolo Banchero.
What they don’t have is a dynamic on-ball scoring guard, someone to complement Banchero and attacked weaknesses in opposing backcourt defenses. Jalen Suggs was a disappointment offensively as a rookie, Fultz left his shot at the University of Washington, and Cole Anthony plays hard but is relatively inefficient. The Magic could use Sexton’s shot creation and scoring, and his vanilla passing can be buoyed by the plus playmaking of the entire frontcourt.
For the Cavs, Gary Harris steps right in and meets a need for a 3-and-D wing, and his off-ball movement in both cuts and perimeter relocation will work great on a team like Cleveland with vertical and horizontal spacing. He could start at the 2, with Caris LeVert coming off of the bench, and play some minutes at the 3 depending on the opponent.
Harris is also on an excellent contract, owed $13 million this year with a completely non-guaranteed second season. The Cavs can release him if they need the cap space next year, keep him if they don’t, or trade him at the deadline if they have another plan in place.
Cavs should try to trade Collin Sexton for Reggie Bullock
The Dallas Mavericks had the chance to lock up a young on-ball scoring guard who loved to work his way into the paint, and they chose not to; the following summer Jalen Brunson then signed with the New York Knicks in unrestricted free agency. They now find themselves with a need for someone to fill Brunson’s shoes.
Collin Sexton could be that answer and the offensive engine for bench lineups when Luka Doncic sits. The size of Doncic means he could also play alongside him a fair amount and not be in a defensive danger zone. The Mavs are getting Tim Hardaway Jr. back and re-signed Dorian Finney-Smith, so perhaps they would give up Reggie Bullock for the opportunity to bring Sexton on board.
Bullock could be the immediate starter at the 3 for the Cavs, moving Lauri Markkanen to a bench role. He could also start at the 2 if the Cavs wanted to go really big. He’s the quintessential 3-and-D wing, shooting 38.5 percent from deep for his career and capable of defending multiple positions.
The Mavericks leaned on Bullock in last year’s playoffs and he was phenomenal defending everyone from Donovan Mitchell to Devin Booker and Chris Paul to Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole. He’s on a value contract of around $10 million per season with only a partial guarantee in 2023-24. This would be a ceiling-raising addition for the Cavs.
Cavs should try to trade Collin Sexton for Joe Harris
The Brooklyn Nets could be a championship contender this season. If they wait out Kevin Durant and he plays out the year, Ben Simmons and Joe Harris are healthy and play up to past levels, and new additions like Royce O’Neale and TJ Warren play well, suddenly this team is as talented as any in the Eastern Conference.
The other side of the coin is that Durant is traded, and then Kyrie Irving likely would follow him out the door to the Los Angeles Lakers or Dallas Mavericks. In that scenario, the Nets would be trying to reset their roster around Ben Simmons. Collin Sexton could step in as an on-ball scorer on Simmons’ age timeline, and acquiring him could allow the Nets to get off of the salary of Joe Harris in return.
Harris missed last season due to a nasty ankle injury, but he’s not necessarily “injury prone” and prior to last year was viewed as one of the league’s premier 3-and-D wings. He is a career 43.9 percent shooter from deep, with five-straight seasons shooting at least 41.9 percent and two years leading the league in accuracy. He would immediately transform the Cavaliers’ spacing.
Defensively he may lose a step after this ankle injury, but he is solid and unlikely to be targeted in the way that Caris LeVert or Sexton saw extra attention. With the backline of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, Harris could provide solid work on the wings as something a step down from a stopper.
Harris is due the most money over the next two seasons, $18.6 million this year and $19.9 the next, but if healthy he is worth it and more. If the Cavs have a chance to swap Sexton for Harris, or Reggie Bullock, or Gary Harris, they should look long and hard at which player helps them compete at the highest levels. It’s likely that the answer will be the wings, and that could set the stage for a trade.