Many believe the Utah Jazz got the short end of the stick when they traded Collin Sexton for Jusuf Nurkic. It's turned out the Jazz needed Nurkic more than anyone could have anticipated, and it appears the Hornets may already be done with Sexton.
NBA Insider Jake Fischer revealed that less than half a season into his tenure with Charlotte, Sexton may be the only Hornet available on the trade market.
"Sources say that the Hornets, furthermore, are also open for business to a degree, but that might only mean shopping veteran guard Collin Sexton as Charlotte — sporting the league's longest playoff drought at nine seasons and counting — clings to hope that it can still be a Play-In team," Fischer wrote.
Sexton's traditional numbers are as solid as they've ever been - averaging 15.5 points, 4.2 assists, and 0.7 steals while shooting 48.9% from the field and 36.6% from three - and yet it still doesn't translate into any winning. For whatever reason, even with Sexton doing his part, his teams don't win.
It's a real mystery why his performance doesn't lead to wins, but the bottom line is that it simply doesn't, which is why Charlotte is looking to trade him. Of course, it doesn't sound like they want to get rid of him, period.
It sounds like Charlotte wants an upgrade
Fischer confirmed that the Hornets believe they can make the play-in in that Sexton-centered intel. Reading the tea leaves from his intel, it sounds like they want someone better than Sexton doing what he does, which would make sense for a team that thinks they have a shot at making the play-in.
Sexton is solid at what he does - getting buckets. He is pretty efficient as a shooter and can score from pretty much anywhere, but he is, at best, just an okay playmaker, and his short stature makes it harder for him to be an effective defender.
Any team that wants consistent scoring will get that if they want Sexton. All it cost to get him was an aging Nurkic, who, as it turns out, had a little more juice than everyone thought. Even so, Sexton shouldn't cost Charlotte much, though it appears their mindset is more about getting an upgrade instead of simply cutting him off the roster like the Jazz did.
Even if their plans are different in a potential trade, the result is still the same: Sexton can't do enough to justify his team wanting him around long-term.