There continues to be radio silence regarding the status of Collin Sexton’s contract talks. The restricted free agent remains unsigned with his NBA future somewhat uncertain. While most signs point to Sexton returning to the Cavs, there have been some recent whispers that the team may be exploring some sign-and-trade opportunities. Both the Mavericks and Jazz have been connected to discussions with the Cavs in recent weeks.
The Utah Jazz are an especially interesting team when considering trade possibilities. The franchise appears in an in-between state as they recently shipped off Rudy Gobert for a haul of draft picks. Publically they have stated their intentions to retool and continue contending, while many believe they are set for a full-fledged rebuild. There continue to be rumors about a potential Donovan Mitchell trade which are expected to heat up even further following Kevin Durant’s decision to recommit to the Nets. A Collin Sexton sign-and-trade would seem to make more sense if the Mitchell deal occurs first.
If the Jazz elect to go into a rebuild, there are several solid rotational players who could be useful additions to the Cavs. As Cleveland attempts to further their steps toward becoming a true contender, adding a few of these players in this type of deal could prove to be beneficial. This is especially the case if the Cavs do not view Collin Sexton as a long-term piece of the franchise. The emergence of Darius Garland has made this a true possibility and the success while Sexton was out injured last season is worth noting. If this proves to be the case, here is a potential sign-and-trade that could benefit the Cavs.
Collin Sexton: A sign-and-trade with Jazz that makes sense for Cavs
Jazz Get: Collin Sexton, 2023 second-round pick, 2025 second-round pick
Cavs Get: Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt
It is important to note that this trade could not occur until after August 30th due to Beverley and Vanderbilt were recently traded in the Gobert deal. It also seems significantly more likely to occur if Donovan Mitchell is traded first. The Jazz would add two additional draft picks to their collection and would be taking a chance on Collin Sexton. This would be a low-risk high-reward move for the Jazz as they begin to transition into a new era.
While Collin Sexton certainly has his critics, he averaged 24.3 points per game just one season ago. At 23 years old there is still a good deal of development still set to occur and he could be a player capable of bridging the gap into Utah’s new era. If Utah thinks especially highly of him they could also experiment with a Mitchell and Sexton pairing and use the already collected draft picks to focus on finding another key piece.
Regardless, this would be a trade that makes sense for the Cavs as they look to flip into true contenders. Patrick Beverley has clear winning habits and makes a massive impact on the attitude of any team he is a part of. The veteran guard played a major role in the Timberwolves’ success last season and helped snap their playoff drought last year. His in-your-face personality also distracts from his positive on-court performance at times as well.
Jarred Vanderbilt is also an underrated rotational piece who would be a nice fit on this Cleveland roster. He is an impressive rebounder, active defender, and a guy content with playing within his role. In his 25.4 minutes per game last season with the TWolves, Vanderbilt averaged 6.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. The 23-year-old is versatile in his position and would be a capable rotation piece for Cleveland.
The Cavaliers now have their young core established and are beginning to shift away from the developmental stage to true contenders. With their key pieces already in place, the team must now set their sights on finding the right role players to surround them with. While superstars of a team typically carry most of the blame, having the right role players to optimize its stars is almost equally important.
The Utah Jazz are loaded with win-now role players that could benefit any team and the Cavs could certainly benefit from going shopping. Players like Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson, and Malik Beasley would also be useful additions. Even though he remains unsigned at the moment, Collin Sexton would be the most logical piece the team could flip to make this possible. For the moment it seems most likely that Sexton will be returning to the Cavs in the 2022-23 season. However, if they are in search of some complimentary pieces to complete their playoff hopes, then this type of sign and trade could certainly make some sense.
