NBA Rumors: Collin Sexton Could Be Traded To Knicks For Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox & Two First-Round Picks
Days before the 2020-21 NBA season officially begins, several interesting trade ideas continue to surface in the league. These involve not only legitimate title contenders but also rebuilding teams that are looking to make noise next year. In a recent article, Greg Patuto of NBA Analysis Network suggested a trade idea between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks that would bring an intriguing point guard to the Big Apple.
In the proposed scenario, the Knicks would be sending a package that includes Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox II, a 2021 first-round pick, and a 2023 first-round pick to the Cavaliers in exchange for Collin Sexton. The Knicks may need to sacrificing plenty of precious assets in the suggested deal, but Patuto believes that it would greatly benefit the team since it would give them “stability” at the point guard position.
“The New York Knicks could use an offense of mind a point guard who can act as a weapon with the ball in his hands. In 2019, Sexton averaged 20.8 points per contest. He played in 65 games and averaged 33 minutes a night. Sexton was also able to get it done from beyond the arc shooting 38% from deep. Over two years, he averaged just three-assist per contest but those numbers will rise as more players get put around him. At 21-years-old, Sexton is looking like a point guard with a high ceiling in the league moving forward.”
Statistics-wise, Sexton is indeed better than the three floor generals — Elfrid Payton, Dennis Smith Jr., and Ntilikina — who are currently on the Knicks’ roster. He would not only give them a major upgrade at the point guard position, but he would also help them significantly improve their offensive efficiency, which ranked No. 29 in the league last season, scoring 103.8 points per 100 possessions, per ESPN. Acquiring Sexton may not be enough to make the Knicks an instant title contender, but if he, RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, and Mitchell Robinson grow together and build good chemistry, it may only be a matter of time before they start competing for the Larry O’Brien Trophy once again.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers may not have shown strong indications that they are planning to move Sexton, but the Knicks’ offer might be too good to pass up. By sending the former No. 8 overall pick to New York, they would be receiving two young and promising talents in Ntilikina and Knox, as well as a couple of future first-rounders.
Being traded to the Cavaliers would benefit Ntilikina and Knox. Both of them are players that are in desperate need of a change in scenery. From being considered underwhelming prospects in New York, starting a new journey in Cleveland could help Ntilikina and Knox revitalize their careers.
