Seemingly every offseason, there’s at least one player that shocks the NBA world and throws the market into disarray. Sometimes that entails a mercenary commanding way above his expected asking price.
Other times, it involves a talent that fans and analysts expect to be a highly sought-after commodity that turns out to be a bargain deal or even a forgotten leftover.
Last summer, Lauri Markkanen filled that role, as he remained unsigned after nearly all of his fellow free agents were picked up. In the end, the Cleveland Cavaliers were able to acquire the young, talented, but struggling forward in a sign-and-deal that involved three teams.
Despite the initial lack of interest in the Finnish big man, he still wound up inking a four-year deal that will pay him a total of $67 million.
While the Cavs were able to benefit from Markkanen’s lack of market interest last summer, they may have the opportunity to cash in on a similar situation regarding one of their in-house mercenaries this offseason.
As Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported, the Cavaliers are ‘still hopeful’ that Sexton can be re-signed to a favorable contract. The marketplace doesn’t have both a need for point guard play and the money to pay for it, or at least for an offer sheet that Cleveland wouldn’t match.
Sources say the Cavs are still hopeful and optimistic about a Collin Sexton deal. Both sides want a deal — at the right price. There’s not only been positive recent dialogue but potential Sexton suitors continue to dwindle, with few cap-space teams capable of giving him the lucrative offer he covets and one the Cavs wouldn’t want to match.
In many ways, Sexton’s situation has played out exactly how the Cavs anticipated, validating their belief about restricted free agency being advantageous and the market being in their favor, especially with Sexton coming off an 11-game season and significant meniscus tear. ‘He has no market,’ an opposing executive told cleveland.com.
It’s a little hard to believe that a 23-year-old scorer who put up 24 points per game while shooting 48 percent from the field, 37 percent from deep, and 82 percent from the stripe when he was last healthy in the 2020-21 season would have no market, but the NBA can be a fickle business.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: 3 Intriguing Sign & Trade Scenarios For Cleveland Cavaliers’ Collin Sexton
His lack of development on the defensive end while playing one of the league’s most replaceable roles as an offensively-geared small guard along with his season-ending injury last year might be reasons why his value has taken a hit this summer.
Still, now that it’s been made known that his price tag has significantly decreased and the free agent pool stands barren, there are sure to be a few teams who will perk up interest for the Young Bull. It wouldn’t be surprising if he ends up in a situation similar to Markkanen’s last summer, signing a still hefty deal with a surprising team out of left field.
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