Despite the fact that the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Ochai Agbaji in the 2022 NBA Draft, a new report suggests that the team is still seeking to re-sign Collin Sexton.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com looked at the Cavaliers’ current roster and pointed out that the team still wants to keep Sexton around, though only if the price is right.
“Cleveland entered the night with 11 players under contract, including the non-guaranteed deals of Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens — two players the Cavs like and value,” Fedor wrote. “Agbaji made it 12. Shooting guard Collin Sexton, who has been fully cleared for basketball-related activities following meniscus surgery, is a restricted free agent. But even after drafting Agbaji, the Cavs want to keep Sexton — if the price is right. He would be the 13th player. Based on the team’s current roster makeup, the other two spots are figuratively reserved for a veteran backup point guard (maybe Ricky Rubio) and a reserve center.”
Sexton played in only 11 games in the 2021-22 season before suffering a torn meniscus and undergoing season-ending surgery in November.
When Sexton is on the court, he can definitely offer the Cavaliers a scoring punch. During the 2020-21 campaign, he averaged 24.3 points, 4.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game.
That type of ability is why the Cavaliers chose him with the eighth overall pick in the 2018 draft, and it’s also why other teams may be looking to steal him away from Cleveland.
Despite having four seasons of NBA experience, Sexton is still just 23 years old and likely has many more years of value left to give the Cavaliers or any other team.
Given Sexton’s status as a restricted free agent, the Cavs can simply match any other team’s offer. The problem for the Cavs is that they appear to have a price limit regarding just how much they value him.
Now that Sexton is ready to start contributing again, he certainly has what it takes to help the Cavaliers take more steps forward. The 2021-22 campaign saw a definite improvement by the team that was promising before late-season injuries helped end their season sooner than they had hoped.
Right now, the Cavaliers simply have to watch what takes place during free agency and then make their final decision on Sexton’s future.
