Cavs: Team should hold-off on giving Collin Sexton an extension

The Cavs should hold off on Collin Sexton until next year.

The Cavs have two names they have to sign to extensions before next year, Jarrett Allen and Collin Sexton. Allen needs a new contract this offseason and while it’s possible the Cavs could let him walk, it’s extremely unlikely. That means giving Allen a big-new deal because even the most mediocre players think they’re worth $10+ million. Allen isn’t mediocre at all, but what is his value? Allen’s probably going to demand $100 million or more over four-five years, and that’s way more than you want to spend on a player like him. That also means the Cavs should hold off on giving Sexton one this offseason as well, as Sexton doesn’t need a new deal until the 2021-2022 offseason.

Sexton will also demand a $100 contract, and it’s hard to say he’s worth that much either. Sexton can get you 20+ points on a bad team. What he can’t get you is wins, strong defense, or any type of scoring output that isn’t from inside the arc. It’s hard to say that Sexton deserves $20 million a year with all of his limitations.

It’s not just about the money but the value for the player.

That doesn’t mean the Cavs shouldn’t retain them, they both provide something to the team, but dedicating $40 million to them will ruin any cap flexibility the team is hoping to have in the future. That has to be pointed out. Sure, the hope is that you get rid of Kevin Love’s contract sooner rather than later, but even then, Darius Garland is going to need a new contract in two years. So that’s another $15-$20 million a year for Garland.

The Cavs are already $17 million over the cap, and in order to be a player in the trade market or free agency, you need cap space. That means Taurean Prince, Cedi Osman, and Larry Nance would have to be move in order to free up some space beyond Love. Granted, Prince won’t be around for long regardless, and Osman has his detractors and supporters. Yet, everyone seems to love Nance.

Would fans be ok with giving up Nance if it means the cap flexibility to improve the roster? Hard to imagine that being the case. The Cavs can’t afford to keep every young player they have if they intend on actually competing for the playoffs.

That’s where the rubber meets the road. If you think Sexton, Garland, and Allen can get you to the playoffs, you pay them. If you don’t think they can, then don’t.

Delaying Sexton a year will give the Cavs an opportunity to evaluate if he can actually produce wins and not just points. After all, he’s one of the worst defenders in the NBA and the Cavs would need to be the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns to score enough points to make up for Sexton’s defensive issues.