Cleveland Cavaliers Give Collin Sexton Qualifying Offer

The Cleveland Cavaliers extended four-year guard Collin Sexton a qualifying offer on Tuesday, making him a restricted free agent.

By extending this qualifying offer, the Cavs will have the right to match any offer Sexton receives. If he turns down Cleveland’s offer, he'll be guaranteed $7.2 million for next season.

During the 2020-21 NBA season, Sexton averaged over 24 points per game. He was expected to improve in the following season, but tore his meniscus in the 11th game, forcing him to undergo season-ending surgery.

The Cavs traded for Indiana Pacers shooting guard Caris LeVert later in the season. He averaged nearly 14 points per game, while starting 10 of his 19 games last season.

Sexton was the starting point guard for Cleveland during his first two seasons, but was moved to shooting guard after it assigned Darius Garland as the primary ball-handler. Garland finished last season as an all-star with nearly 22 points and nine assists per game.

The 2018 No. 8 pick out of Alabama has said he’d like to stay with the Cavs, 

"I want to be here in Cleveland," Sexton told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com in April. "I know this is the place that helped me get to where I am today, and I know I want to continue to be part of the winning culture."

The 23-year-old is currently healthy and able to return to full-speed basketball. Sexton can play in the backcourt of many NBA teams if he chooses to sign elsewhere.

Tuesday night had plenty of buzz surrounding Dallas and New York after the Knicks traded multiple players to the Pistons to free cap space for free agent Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson, a member of Sexton's draft class. Brunson is expected to receive a four-year, $110 million contract offer.

The Mavericks are one of the teams expected to make an offer to Sexton and a backcourt including him and generational talent Luka Doncic can make Dallas a contender.

The NBA regular season tips off on Oct. 18. Collin Sexton may not be wearing a wine and gold jersey.