Report: Cavs want to keep Collin Sexton and not let him ‘truly test’ free agency

While rumors have swirled around Collin Sexton’s future with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a new report indicates that the team is looking to keep him.

Right Down Euclid’s Evan Dammarell pondered the Cavaliers’ offseason outlook and indicated that the Cavaliers apparently want to hold onto Sexton.

“Sources say that the Cavaliers want to keep Sexton and not let him truly test the waters of free agency,” Dammarell wrote. “But, things could change based on how the market is set.”

That market is strongly based on where Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson ends up. He’s an unrestricted free agent and reportedly has other teams interested in signing him.

Sexton will be a restricted free agent, which means that the Cavaliers can match offers from other teams. Despite the fact that he’s coming off a season-ending injury, he’s still considered one of the best guards in this year’s free agency.

If Brunson ends up staying with the Mavericks, the teams pursuing him could very well look toward Sexton as their next option.

Sexton was the first major building block in the Cavaliers’ recent rebuilding project when he was taken with the eighth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. During his four seasons in the league, he’s had some noteworthy moments that show why the Cavaliers invested a high draft pick in him.

Over his four NBA seasons, Sexton has averaged 20.0 points, 3.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game. Those numbers could potentially result in a lucrative contract offer that would force the Cavaliers to make a decision on Sexton’s future with the team.

During the 2021-22 campaign, the Cavaliers had a comeback season that got them into the play-in portion of the postseason. That was accomplished with minimal contributions from Sexton, whose torn left meniscus in November sidelined him for the rest of the season.

By re-signing Sexton, the Cavaliers would certainly bolster the overall quality of the team’s roster. Whether or not they end up doing that is a question that will have to wait to be answered.