It’s no secret that the Utah Jazz just went through a wild offseason.
The team decided to enter a rebuild, trading away stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.
In the Mitchell deal, the Jazz were able to add an exciting young player in Collin Sexton via a sign-and-trade agreement.
Sexton had a wild offseason himself, as he was a restricted free agent much longer than he likely expected to be.
But in the end, he landed with Utah, and that’s where he’s set to be for the foreseeable future.
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
On Sunday, Utah had its first preseason game, and fans were able to see Sexton in action for the Jazz for the first time.
The guard came off the bench and only played 18 minutes, but he when was impressive during his time on the floor.
He dropped 11 points, two assists, and two steals, and in the process, he shot 4-for-9 from the field and 3-for-4 from deep.
Collin Sexton knocks down his first bucket as a member of the Jazz 🔥pic.twitter.com/XXqk4xULpI
— Jazz Nation (@JazzNationCP) October 2, 2022
The game was just an appetizer for Sexton’s 2022-23 season, but there was certainly a lot to like.
Moreover, it was great just to see him on the floor after he missed the majority of last season due to a torn meniscus.
The Sexton era is underway in Utah, and that’s an exciting thing.
Lots Of Potential
During his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sexton showed flashes of All-Star potential.
His best season with the Cavs came during the 2020-21 campaign, which was the last full season he had.
During that season, he was a scoring machine, as he averaged 24.3 points per contest on efficient shooting clips (47.5 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from deep).
Regardless of the fact that Sexton did it for a Cavs team that wasn’t good at the time, it’s no small feat to average a number like that while being efficient.
For his career, the former first-round pick holds averages of 20.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.
He’s a career 45.8 percent shooter from the field and 37.8 percent shooter from beyond the arc.
It goes without saying that he’s an extremely solid offensive weapon already, and to sweeten the deal, he likely isn’t done improving.
Sexton is only 23 years old.
He has only really played three legitimate seasons in the NBA (since his fourth season was mostly lost to injury), and he has the work ethic necessary for a big leap.
The Jazz would love nothing more than to see the youngster take that leap, as he currently projects to be an important part of their future.
Sexton’s contract is set to keep him with Utah through the 2025-26 season, and if he continues to improve as a player, he could be an All-Star by that time.
Right now, Sexton and the Jazz are focused on having a productive preseason, as they have three tune-up games left before the real ones start.
Utah is set to open its 2022-23 regular season on Oct. 19 against the Denver Nuggets.
Sexton will get to play his former team, the Cavs, on Dec. 19, exactly two months after Utah’s season opener.
