Toronto Raptors: 2 reasons to trade for Collin Sexton, and 1 reason not to
By Mike Luciano
The Toronto Raptors know that they need to shake some things up this offseason, and the expected departure of Kyle Lowry could force them to go big with regards to adding a replacement at the point guard spot. If they are feeling really bold and brash, they could choose to go after Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Collin Sexton.
While the “Sexland” backcourt of the former Alabama star and No. 5 overall pick Darius Garland proved to be a very successful combination, the fact that Cleveland was so far away from the postseason this year despite a very strong start has apparently reignited the trade rumors.
Sexton averaged 24.3 points per game in his third NBA season, but that didn’t stop an NBA executive, per Cleveland.com, from mentioning the potential of a trade, ad he doesn’t see a scenario in which the Cavs could win while paying Jarrett Allen and Sexton nine-figure contracts.
Sexton is by no means a perfect prospect, and we haven’t seen how he can perform in the playoffs due to the ineptitude of Cleveland, but he would still command a very steep price in the trade market. The Raptors will rightfully be enticed by his offensive potential, but he has some issues that could make Toronto hesitant to trade for him.
Why the Toronto Raptors should, and should not, get Collin Sexton.
Positive No.1: He’s improved on offense with every season
Improvement every single year is what teams want to see out of their guards, and Sexton has become a better offensive player every year he’s been in Cleveland. Sexton started out life in the NBA as a garden-variety 16.7 point per game scorer on 43% shooting, but he has stepped on the accelerator.
Shooting 47% from the field in both of the last two seasons, Sexton has put up averages of 20.8 points and 24.3 points per game, all the while bumping his assists per game up to 4.4 last season. Scoring like that at this age is nothing to sneeze at, and it would make Sexton a very valuable commodity.
Collin Sexton could keep developing for the Toronto Raptors.
3-point shooting was a huge area of concern when he was coming out of Alabama, but Sexton making 38.5% of his 3-point attempts should help quiet those concerns. Imagine Sexton alongside all of Toronto’s offensive talent on a fast break. The “Young Bull” would be unleashed in Canada.
Sexton will likely improve in Toronto, as Nick Nurse has a well-earned reputation as one of the best developers and instructors in the game when it comes to offensive basketball and jump shooting. If Sexton was putting up these numbers for Larry Drew, John Beilein, and JB Bickerstaff, imagine what Nurse could do for him.