SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – FEBRUARY 12: Collin Sexton #2 of the Utah Jazz in action during the first … More
On the eve of NBA free agency, the Utah Jazz traded Collin Sexton and a 2030 second-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for Jusuf Nurkic, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
For the Jazz, the motivation for that move centers around Ace Bailey. Despite the former Rutgers star excluding Utah from his list of preferred destinations and declining to work out for them, the organization made him the fifth overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
Bailey has the potential to lead the Jazz to championship contention in the future. The franchise must do right by him so he can do his part in bringing them there.
Utah had a pair of ball-dominant guards in Sexton and Jordan Clarkson. Plus, Laur Markkanen, who, even after a down year, warrants ample touches.
But the Jazz didn’t disregard Bailey’s pre-draft demands for him to take a backseat. They’ll figure to want the rock in his hands often and allow him to grow through whatever mistakes come with that.
It’s a situation that spelled the end of Sexton’s three-year tenure in Salt Lake City. The former eighth-overall pick averaged 18.4 points and 4.2 assists last season. He also knocked down 40.6 percent of his 4.3 attempts from beyond the arc.
Sexton is on an expiring contract worth $19 million. He now joins LaMelo Ball in the backcourt in Charlotte. The Hornets also invested in that area at the NBA Draft. They utilized the fourth-overall pick to select Kon Knueppel, a sharpshooting guard from Duke.
While Sexton’s contract is sizable, as a rental who could help teams projected to be higher up the standings than Charlotte, he could have a new home before the trade deadline passes.
The Hornets are rebuilding. They hired highly regarded Charles Lee as head coach last year. He’s a motivator, a tactician, and has an impressive command of defensive strategy.
Lee’s primary building blocks on the roster are Ball, Knueppel, and former second-overall pick forward Brandon Miller.
The reasoning is understood, but Utah’s return is head-scratching
The rationale for trading Sexton is sound. However, one would think his value was higher than acquiring Walker Kessler’s backup on an expiring deal worth slightly more than Sexton’s.
Furthermore, despite surrendering the better player in this deal, the Jazz were the side that gave up draft capital.
Even if this was the best Utah could do, did Charlotte have a more attractive alternative involving Nurkic? If so, it’s hard to believe a 2030 second-round pick altered the Hornets’ preference.
What matters most is what this trade does for Ace Bailey. However, the return for Sexton is underwhelming. Considering he’s better and slightly less expensive than Nurkic, the Utah Jazz giving up a future second-round selection to facilitate this deal is another part of a confounding decision.
