Collin Sexton will become a restricted free agent following this season after failing to reach an agreement on a contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The young star was apparently looking for a contract worth $100 million. But it seems like the Cavs are not willing to commit that amount of money for now.
More details have emerged about how the extension talks reportedly progressed between the two camps several weeks ago. Sexton reportedly originally wanted to receive a deal similar to the ones that De’Aaron Fox and Jamal Murray got.
“About two weeks before the NBA’s opening-night deadline for rookie contract extensions, I was told that the Cavs and Collin Sexton were on track to get an agreement in place for something in the neighborhood of $20-25 million a year,” wrote Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. “A few days before the deadline, I was told talks hit a ‘snag’ without any further explanation.
“The two sides ultimately parted without a deal. Preserving the relationship now will be key, particularly since Sexton’s 2018 draft class broke a record with more than $1 billion in extensions. Emotions are involved when a deal isn’t struck in a situation like this, given how this organization positioned Sexton for so long. I’ve been vocal about how the Cavs have miscast Sexton in a role for which he wasn’t suited for a number of years.
“Sure enough, Sexton’s side originally asked for the type of money De’Aaron Fox and Jamal Murray received, according to one source with knowledge of the talks. Both young guards received max contracts and had numbers comparable to Sexton, but the Cavs weren’t interested in anything close to that.”
It will be interesting to see how Sexton responds this season after not getting the contract extension he was hoping for. Earlier this month, he expressed his disappointment on how things turned out.
So far, the 22-year-old’s production has regressed from that of last season.
Sexton recorded 24.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game in the 2020-21 season. In seven games this season, he is averaging 17.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per contest.
