These are three awful trade ideas for Collin Sexton and the Cavs.
Not all trade ideas are created equal. The fine folks at Clutch Points are a lot like others at this point in time. The NBA post-season is underway but those who are already out, like the Cavs, are thinking about the offseason. So many outlets are too. That means the articles about trade ideas are being pumped out pretty quickly. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that, but one has to ask a question; do these writers know how valuable Collin Sexton is; because there are some bad trade packages being offered.
Granted, most people doing these trade packages always want to make sure their team benefits more than they suffer. Everyone’s guilty of it to some degree. So there’s nothing inherently wrong, there is often a winner and a loser in a sports trade, so the idea that a trade proposal would slant one way isn’t the most offensive thing that could happen.
Still, most of the trades that surround Sexton seem to be rather underwhelming. Like these suggestions from Clutch Sports.
So we’re going to look at each proposal and see just what it does for the Cavs, what it does for the opposing team, and if anybody would actually want to make this deal. Spoiler alert, the headline kinda gave away the last point; no. No one should want to do a deal like this if you’re the Cavs. These are some rough ideas.
So let’s get started.
If you’re a Lakers fan, you love this trade. Kyle Kuzma was seen as the “the guy to keep” when trade talks with Anthony Davis popped up. That’s no longer the case and many think the Lakers messed up including Brandon Ingram in the deal and not Kuzma. So it feels like this is the trade that would put the mistake of keeping Kuzma to rest once and for all.
Obviously, Collin Sexton is better than Kuzma, we all know it. Part of the issue with Kuzma being retained, however, is that Davis has taken his opportunities. He’s a bench player for the Lakers and isn’t providing them with what they’re lacking. So obviously he’s an option to be traded.
Now, on paper people might love this trade for the Lakers. Except the issue isn’t the guard position for Los Angeles, it’s the defensive low-post. The Lakers need to move Davis back to power forward and get a big body down low to play defense and rim run. That’s why they were so much better in 2019-2020, they had JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard.
Marc Gasol was still ok as a defender but he’s been beaten down by injuries and age. Andre Drummond was a mistake (We know the feeling), and they’re in desperate need to rework their big situation.
The Lakers can get guards all they want, but what they need is another player maker, who can distribute the ball and stretch the court. These are two things Sexton doesn’t do. He doesn’t kick passes out and he’s not known for his three-point acumen. He’s Russell Westbrook without the defense or passing.
For the Cavs, Kuzma doesn’t fill a need and the draft picks aren’t going to do anything for them unless they’re able to flip them and Kevin Love to get out of his contract. That doesn’t seem likely though for a 22nd pick.
This trade offends me. The Lakers trade doesn’t work for either party but Kyle Kuzma could be an18 points, six rebounds kinda guy as a second option. Sure, so that’s not nothing. Aaron Nesmith and Romeo Langford, and the 16th overall pick for Collin Sexton?
I’d never answer another phone call from the Celtics again if they actually made this deal. Kuzma has shown what he can do, Nesmith and Langford have proven they aren’t good enough to crack the regular rotation on a team that’s barely good enough to make the playoffs. The Celtics of 2020-2021 are anything but a powerhouse. They have a lot of issues. If those two weren’t good enough to become big-time players in the rotation for the Celtics, they aren’t going to fare any better in Cleveland.
The last thing the Cavs need is another undersized small forward and a shooting guard who can’t shoot.
The draft pick isn’t enticing. The 16th overall pick? This isn’t the NFL or even the Major Leagues were a pick in the first round, regardless of where, actually means something. After the first eight or so picks in the NBA Draft, you go from drafting starters to bench players.
The Celtics give up next to nothing of value to get Sexton, while the Cavs are left holding the bag on two (potentially) failed prospects, and a first-round draft pick that doesn’t have the value most of the media actually want to claim it does.
This trade is all sorts of lopsided and the Cavs don’t need to get involved in it.
The Lakers had the best player attached, Kyle Kuzma, but this Knicks trade had the most assets attached. The Knicks are far from a well-run organization. If the Knicks fall back into the abyss they briefly crawled out of, then that 2022 first-rounder will be a top-10 pick. That’s a great starting point.
More so, if the Knicks want Sexton bad enough, throw in the 19th pick for 2021 and the 21st pick in 2022. We’ll be magnanimous and return the second-rounder. Three first-round picks, two in 2021, are about the starting point of negotiations for Collin Sexton.
Another possibility would be to return one of the previously mentioned three first-round picks and put Isaiah Quickley into the trade. They play the same position and style, so why try to see if they can play together?
As it stands right now, it’s just not enough. The two first-round draft picks are close. Don’t get me wrong. Yet, if you’re going to dangle those two and someone like Knox and not Quickley, I know you don’t value those draft picks as much as you should if you’re offering them up in a trade.
This feels like a hustle trade.
The Knicks don’t exactly make out like bandits in any variation of this trade, either. They would have to move on from Derrick Rose with this deal, as neither Rose nor Sexton can really be that effective with the ball in someone else’s hands. As Rose isn’t a great three-point shooter, there isn’t a lot they can do with one another.
It’d also set them up to be pretty bad defensively.
None of these trades are right for the Cavs. Some are close, but the Cavaliers need to demand the moon for Sexton. Otherwise, just re-sign him.