Report: Collin Sexton turned down contract offer from Cavs before trade to Utah

After landing combo guard Collin Sexton in a sign-and-trade deal with the Cavaliers as part of the package for All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz intend to keep Sexton in Utah, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reveals in an emergency edition of his podcast The Hoop Collective.

Sexton had been a restricted free agent this offseason, and apparently negotiations between the 6’1″ guard out of Alabama and Cavaliers brass remained far apart in recent weeks. The team had offered him a deal in the range of a three-year, $40MM contract, which he had turned down. Ultimately, he will be inking a four-year, $72MM contract in the sign-and-trade that is sending him to the Jazz.

Sexton, still just 23, was unavailable for all but 11 games last season for Cleveland after tearing his meniscus. When healthy, he averaged 16.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.1 APG and 0.9 SPG, on .450/.244/.744 shooting splits. Through his four NBA seasons, he boasts career averages of 20 PPG, 3.3 APG, 3 RPG, and 0.8 SPG, with a .458/.378/.827 slash line.

There’s more out of Utah:

• Zach Harper of The Athletic doles out trade grades to both the Cavaliers and the Jazz following the team’s exchange earlier today. Harper is higher on the addition of Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland than he is on the return acquired by Utah, noting that he sees the Cavaliers as a potential Eastern Conference contender.
• The Jazz now appear to be going all-in on a full-bore rebuild, writes Sarah Todd of the Deseret News. Todd takes stock of the team’s new assets thanks to its four offseason trades to date. The Jazz now have bolstered their roster with six players aged 25 or younger, plus two young players from the first-round of this year’s draft, eight future first-round draft selections, and three upcoming draft pick swaps. Todd notes that this will could be an extended process.
• Following these summer deals that have sent away All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz futures of veterans Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Rudy Gay appear to be up in the air. On today’s edition of his podcast The Lowe Post, ESPN’s Zach Lowe talks with colleague Bobby Marks about the potential trade destinations for these various players.