With the Dallas Mavericks officially drafting Cooper Flagg last Wednesday, their offseason focus has now shifted to finding a stopgap point guard to replace Kyrie Irving until he returns from his ACL tear. Dallas was in trade rumors for Lonzo Ball before he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers yesterday, and they just missed out on trading for another rumored target, Collin Sexton, as he was traded by the Utah Jazz along with a second-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for Jusuf Nurkic, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
This low asking price has Mavs fans fuming already, as it shows how easily they could have acquired Sexton if they put the right trade package together. Dallas had an outstanding opportunity to upgrade their backcourt for now and the future, but now Sexton is heading to play for the Hornets after they just had an incredible NBA Draft.
Nurkic was virtually unplayable at times last season for the Phoenix Suns and Hornets, and the fact that the Jazz had to give up a second-round pick along with Sexton is puzzling. Sexton is the best player in this trade by far, and it seems like Dallas could have gotten a deal done to bring him to the Mavericks if they had just matched salaries and given them a rotation player.
Mavericks should have traded for Collin Sexton before Hornets did
Mavericks fans wanted Sexton so badly due to his excellent scoring, quickness, and competitiveness, as he would have given the Mavs a score-first guard to run the show while Irving is sidelined, who would have given them a major edge compared to the other guards they have reportedly been interested in.
All signs are pointing to Dallas signing D'Angelo Russell tomorrow once free agency begins, as they have been linked to him over the last few days, and the difference between Sexton and Russell is bigger than anyone realizes.
While Russell remains a decent playmaker and shot maker, his defense is nowhere close to Sexton's, and Russell is 29 years old while Sexton is only 26.
Along with Sexton's better defense, he is also a much better scorer than Russell. Sexton is a strong shooter off the catch and the dribble, and his quickness and slashing would have given Dallas some much-needed flair while Irving is injured.
Sexton truly seemed like the best fit of any of the Mavs' other rumored trade targets (Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball), and it looks like Dallas will adjust their backcourt depth by signing Russell and calling it a day.
This is a major risk, as they are going to need some firepower while Irving is out, and the Mavs must have some serious trust that Flagg is going to make a major impact on offense right away. Jason Kidd and Mark Cuban even talked about Flagg playing point guard last week, and the Mavs passing on Ball and Sexton could mean that Flagg is going to handle the ball often.
Dallas trading for Sexton seems like a move they definitely should have made, as he seems like the type of player Nico Harrison would want due to his defense, hustle, and ability to play either guard spot, but the Mavs' interest in him must not have been as high as fans had hoped, as the trade package to acquire him was nowhere near to what was initially expected from Mavs fans.
The Mavs will now be forced to look elsewhere when replacing Irving, as their best trade option is now off the board.