Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton will be one of the players from the 2018 draft class to hit the restricted free agency next summer. Sexton and the Cavs were open to getting an extension done ahead of Monday’s deadline but couldn’t come to an agreement in part due to player’s high demands early on, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Fedor reports that Sexton and his camp hoped the 2018 eighth overall pick would command a deal in the range of around $100 million. However, the Cavs never approached that number, and the two sides failed to get close later in the negotiations.
Still, there is reportedly no bad blood at the moment between Cleveland and Sexton. The 22-year-old would still like to remain with the organization despite the failed extension talks, while the Cavs also view him as a part of their future. There is optimism among involved parties that a deal can be reached at the end of the 2021-22 season.
“We’ve put a lot into Collin, working with him. We believe in him,” the Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Sexton recently. “Would love to have him here as part of what we’re doing.”
Collin Sexton was arguably the Cavs’ best player last season, averaging career-highs across the board. He led the team with 24.3 points per game while also adding 3.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.0 steals on average. Still, he has been described as having “tunnel vision” at moments while failing to make an extra effort on defense.
If he hits the restricted free agency without an agreement with the Cavs, Sexton should have no problem getting a big offer elsewhere if he continues to improve as he did since entering the NBA. But the most likely scenario is that he remains in Cleveland and continues to be a key component of their young core for years to come.
