Despite fantastic draft pickups, the Charlotte Hornets still need to tackle various roster holes this offseason. They have just addressed one of them, particularly the lack of offensive help behind LaMelo Ball, by reportedly landing Collin Sexton from the Utah Jazz.
The former eighth overall pick had been in limbo with the Jazz, although he had continued to show his value as a scorer and a playmaker last season. He averaged 18.4 points and 4.2 assists per game, which are similar to his career numbers.
So, it's impressive that the Hornets were able to acquire while also adding a second-round pick. They only had to give up Jusuf Nurkic in the deal, which makes it even more stunning. Perhaps Jazz fans are up in arms now because not only did they give up the better player in the trade, but they also had to fork out a valuable second-rounder just to get rid of Sexton.
Just in: The Utah Jazz are trading Collin Sexton and a 2030 second-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for Jusuf Nurkic, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/k5hFMBSlYn
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2025
Collin Sexton will fit the Hornets like a glove
In the past years, Sexton has been mentioned as a possible target for Charlotte. First, he was identified as a dream draft selection in 2018 when the franchise had the No. 11 pick. However, the Cleveland Cavaliers took him off the board earlier, resulting in the Hornets executing the now-infamous Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-Miles Bridges swap.
Then, Sexton was brought up as a possible trade target last year. But nothing came out of it, as Utah held onto him for another year while the Hornets relied a ton on Ball, who had done a terrific job earlier in the 2024-25 season before injuries stopped him in his tracks.
This time around, though, Charlotte finally nabbed the combo guard while not having to surrender that much. Nurkic would have been a great piece to hang onto, especially since he provided the team with a strong interior presence who could extend his range to the 3-point line. However, he had become expendable after the Hornets acquired a younger version of him in this summer's draft.
Many fans are probably anticipating how Sexton will help the club's dismal offense. It's worth noting how efficiently he shoots the rock (48.0 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from long range in the 2024-25 campaign), which is proof that he can thrive in Charles Lee's five-out offense.
Sexton will likely come off the bench, though, and hopefully, he is open to the idea after being a starter in 335 of 407 career appearances.
It could actually present the University of Alabama product with a great opportunity to showcase his skills, as he would be the lead ball-handler and shot-creator for the second unit. That he would be doing it against the opponents' reserves could help him deliver Sixth Man of the Year numbers. He should still expect to see minutes alongside Ball, and that would be a scary backcourt duo to go up against because of how creative the offense would be with them as the initiators.
Sexton also provides the Hornets with insurance in the event that Ball and Brandon Miller have to deal with injuries again next season. Of course, it's ideal that it won't be the case so that the team can field various lineup combinations with at least two lethal scorers on the floor.