Feb 15, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Wearing a “Built by Black History” t-shirt, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton practices before the game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
The Jazz landed more than just draft picks in the Donovan Mitchell trade and they’re clearly excited about Collin Sexton, signing him to a new four-year deal.
After weeks of speculation about the New York Knicks, the Utah Jazz opted to trade Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for three future first-round picks, two pick swaps, Lauri Markkanen, Ochi Agbaji and Collin Sexton. It signals they’re moving from a soft reset after the Rudy Gobert trade to a full-on rebuild.
While the Jazz are clearly looking to the future now, they wasted no time in committing to one of the major pieces of that trade, agreeing to terms on a big new extension for Collin Sexton.
Sources: Collin Sexton is signing a four-year, $72 million contract via sign-and-trade to the Utah Jazz.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 1, 2022
Sexton missed all but 11 games last season because of a torn meniscus. However, his 2020-21 campaign was a legitimate breakout season. That year he averaged 24.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, shooting 47.5 percent from the field, 37.1 percent from beyond the arc and 81.5 percent from the free throw line.
Sexton, who won’t turn 24 until January, has proven himself to be a dynamic three-level scorer and there’s a plausible argument to be made that he can replicate a lot of Mitchell’s production. He’s not as accomplished an isolation scorer but his scoring efficiency in the pick-and-roll was roughly comparable to Mitchell’s in 2020-21 (64th to 73rd). That season, Sexton also averaged more drives per game than Mitchell with a nearly equivalent field goal percentage.
He’s not quite as dynamic or efficient as Mitchell but he has similar qualities, is cheaper and younger, providing a lot more upside from a roster-building perspective.
The Jazz have 13 first-round picks over the next seven drafts, along with three pick swaps. And they are also reportedly shopping Jordan Clarkson, Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic who could net them additional young picks and assets. They seem ready to make Collin Sexton the face of their rebuild, at least this phase of it, and right now that seems like a pretty good idea.
Build your custom FanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis on Utah Jazz and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more.
Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices.
© 2022 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators’ opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.