After another disastrous postseason for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the franchise and its fans received some more bad news to salt their wounds. Earlier this week, the team announced that All-Star point guard Darius Garland underwent successful surgery to repair the broken toe he suffered in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs.
On the bright side, the Cavs and their fans now have ample ammunition to use against any detractors who questioned Garland’s toughness and commitment to winning. The severity of his injury also makes their second-round upset at the hands of the Indiana Pacers significantly more palatable. On the other hand, Garland won’t be re-evaluated until after 4-5 months of rehabilitation, meaning he’s expected to miss a good chunk of the campaign at the start of the 2025-26 season.
That makes it all the more imperative that Cleveland retains Ty Jerome, who’s now in unrestricted free agency after a breakout year in which he was a top contender for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award. Even if they are able to re-sign him, Garland’s extended absence has made acquiring additional guard depth a priority for the Cavs.
Thankfully, a perfect and familiar option may have just opened up for Cleveland and President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman. According to The Athletic’s Tony Jones, the Utah Jazz are actively working to move Collin Sexton this summer. Sexton has proven himself to be one of the more underrated two-way guards in the league over the past few years. This past season, he averaged 18.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting a stellar 48 percent from the field, including 41 percent from 3-point land. He also has experience playing with the Cavaliers and alongside their more tenured players, such as Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Isaac Okoro.
Between his ability to play both on and off the ball, his willingness to come off the bench, and his penchant for having the occasional offensive explosion, he’d be a seamless option to round out Cleveland’s backcourt, both during Garland’s absence and when he returns to the court. It has long been surmised that Sexton will only become more valuable once he’s playing in a winning situation, when his relentless energy, effort, and competitiveness can truly shine. Perhaps the Cavaliers should put that theory to the test by reuniting with him this summer.
