Cavs: Collin Sexton trade rumors are off and running

When the Cavs got the third pick in the draft, you just knew Collin Sexton trade rumors would follow.

Heck, even ESPN’s Brian Windhorst was glowing over what a special talent Jalen Suggs could be, while standing up for his belief that Sexton isn’t a franchise pillar.

Sexton is approaching a contract extension, and Cleveland fans are waiting to see if the franchise will put their money where their mouth has been over the past three years in constantly hyping the 2018 first-round pick as a cornerstone of the future.

Sexton has undoubtedly turned into an excellent scorer, averaging just a tick over 24 points per game, but even so, the Cavs have continued to stink, consistency vying for one of the worst records in the league.

With this in mind, it’s not a huge surprise the Cavs have started exploring trade options for Sexton., according to SI.com’s Jeremy Woo. I hate the phrasing “exploring” when it comes to the transaction season, because there’s probably eight guys in the whole league who would never be traded. Everyone else is expendable-so explore all you want.

It’ll be interesting  to watch how the Cavs handle a Sexton trade, because he’s due $6 million next season and in the NBA, it’s all about making the money match in any deal. The Cavs could throw in Taurean Prince to get a higher-salaried player. Prince is due to earn $13 million next season.

No, this won’t get Ben Simmons ($30 million next season), not that the 76ers would make this trade anyway.

Cavs any interest in Simmons?

I hope not. I’d rather have Jalen Suggs than Simmons, a former No. 1 overall pick. Simmons plays with Joel Embiid, and while the mantra is “Trust the process,” the process has resulted with Philly winning jack squat–I mean, not even a Finals’ appearance.

And for the all the speculation of the Cavs trading the pick…again, I hope not. The rebuild has been tough, but they’ve drafted well considering their recent lottery luck. Sexton was the eight pick and averaging 24.2 points per game. That’s pretty darn good.

Sexton was the fifth overall pick and basically didn’t have a college season. With a year of experience under his belt, he took a big step in year two.

The point here being, Cleveland’s gotten some really good players, but no one capable of taking the Wine and Gold to the promised land. This draft pick changes everything.