Should the Indiana Pacers trade for Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton?

The Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly shopping guard Collin Sexton heading into the summer and the Indiana Pacers may be interested. Given the roster and current outlook for the future, a trade for Sexton would be quite the shakeup.

Sexton, 22, has spent three seasons with Cleveland where he has averaged 20.2 points per game and shot 38.5 percent from beyond the arc. Adding him to the Pacers would create some major questions but his talent is certainly there.

Should the Indiana Pacers trade for Collin Sexton?

Rumors suggest the Pacers are indeed interested in a trade involving Sexton, though the return has not been mentioned. The 22-year-old guard is seeking a massive contract extension and the Pacers currently have two starting-caliber guards making enough money as is.

As things stand, the Pacers have Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert under contract for next season, and both are expected to share time as the primary ball-handler. Adding a player like Sexton to the mix would almost guarantee that one of them is moved this offseason, whether as part of the package for Sexton or in another deal.

Brogdon is set to make $21.7 million next season while LeVert is on the books for $17.5 million of his own. In order to pay big money towards Sexton in an extension, Indiana will have to move some money around while also creating a spot in the starting lineup. That leads me to believe Malcolm Brogdon would be the candidate to be on the move.

Injuries have slowed him down in each of his two seasons with Indiana. Trading him for a player with plenty of upside on offense who is seven years younger has to be on the table.

 So what would Collin Sexton bring to the Indiana Pacers?

Sexton has been a starter for pretty much three full seasons, coming off the bench in just 10 of his 207 career games. He’s also played heavy minutes in each of his three seasons, reaching 35.3 minutes per game last season. His 2020-21 season was the best of his career up to this point but his shooting numbers took a small dip.

He tallied 24.3 points and 4.4 assists on 18.4 shots per game but his three-point shooting dropped to just over 37 percent. His free throw shooting fell slightly to 81.5 percent on 6.4 attempts per game after hitting 84 percent in his first two seasons.

Still, the Pacers have a need for creators on the perimeter and although Brogdon and LeVert have handled that role in the past, getting a younger threat with a killer instinct would elevate the offense.

Sexton has the ability to take over any game when he feels the urge. He can pop off for 35+ points on any given night while helping lead his team to a victory. Last season, the Cavs were 5-2 when Sexton scored over 30 points and won all three games in which he scored over 35.

In his 60 games last season, Sexton failed to score in double figures just once. Any time you can add a consistent scorer at a young age, it has to be considered. The likely package to acquire Sexton would be Malcolm Brogdon and a first-round pick which may seem like a lot.

A pairing of Sexton and Domantas Sabonis with Caris LeVert and T.J. Warren still in the rotation would be a very fun offensive unit. The Defense will have some work to do, which can be addressed at other stages of the offseason, but scoring can never be overstated.

The Pacers need to shake things up this summer. With Sexton being reportedly available for trade, Indiana would be smart to at least kick the tires on a potential deal. Will the Pacers actually pull the trigger on a risky move this summer to shape the franchise’s future?