The Cleveland Cavaliers and Collin Sexton have yet to agree on a contract extension.
While the No. 8 pick of the 2018 NBA Draft is reportedly looking for a massive contract worth around $80 million, it seems that the Cavs are not willing to commit that amount of money to the young guard.
Sexton is reportedly dismayed with the team’s current offer.
“It’s just not at the money that he believes he should get and his camp believes he deserves,” Cavs insider Chris Fedor said regarding the offer.
The University of Alabama product has been one of the team’s most consistent players on offense in recent years. During his rookie season, he averaged 16.7 points and 3.0 assists per game.
His numbers continued to improve over the next couple of years. He had his best season during the 2020-21 campaign, averaging 24.3 points and 4.4 assists per contest. Last season, he was recording 16.0 points and 2.1 assists per game before going down with a season-ending injury.
While it makes sense for Cleveland to look to re-sign Sexton to a long-term deal, the team is seemingly hesitating to meet his demands for various reasons.
For one, giving him $20 million a year would push the Cavs into the luxury tax threshold, something they are reportedly unwilling to do. However, the team could try to shed some salaries in order to avoid the luxury tax.
In addition, the Cavs have shown a commitment to Darius Garland as one of their top players after agreeing to a max extension with the All-Star guard earlier this month.
Of course, there have been concerns about whether or not a starting backcourt of Garland and Sexton can be sustainable in the long run. It would certainly make for an explosive backcourt, but defense could be an issue.
It remains to be seen if Sexton will stay in a Cavs uniform for the foreseeable future.
