Sad fact about Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton: he's never been to the playoffs. In fact, he's never even come close. The one year the Cleveland Cavaliers made the play-in with him on the roster, he was recovering from a meniscus tear.
It's been more of the same with the Jazz. They've certainly made things interesting with Sexton for the past three years, but it hasn't led to much. Now, Sexton's future with the team is pretty hard to figure out.
What makes it harder for him is that one particular team could have used Sexton, and that could not have been more clear after their second game in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. The team in question is the Orlando Magic.
The Magic have a playoff-caliber defense and then some. At full strength, scoring on them is quite the puzzle to solve. On that end, there shouldn't be any questions. On the other end, it's different, and after going down 0-2 to Boston, it's pretty easy to see that Sexton would have answered those questions.
Sexton would have been perfect for the Magic
The only thing stopping the Magic from taking that next step is their lack of scoring personnel. Orlando may have one of the best young duos in the league with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, but outside of them, their offensive firepower is badly lacking.
What's hurt them against the Celtics is no Jalen Suggs or Mo Wagner, but Suggs is a high-volume/low-efficiency scorer, while Mo can only do so much as a role player. Sexton would have been the perfect third banana to put on the Magic.
Sexton can score, but what makes him so good at what he does is his consistency in efficiency. That has always been the case since he entered the NBA, putting up a career true shooting percentage of 57.2%. That's the kind of scoring presence the Magic need next to Banchero and Franz.
The Jazzman has also emerged as a playmaker, averaging more assists with the Jazz over the past two years than he ever did with the Cavaliers, despite playing fewer minutes than he did in Cleveland. This would show that, though Sexton is a score-first guard, he can make the right play, and that would definitely show up when playing next to some of the game's younger scorers.
This isn't the first time Sexton has been floated as a Magic target. However, at times like these, where it's clear the Magic needed someone like him, passing on him looks even dumber in hindsight. Orlando is aching to take another step forward, and acquiring Sexton would have gotten them there.
It might not be too late for a Sexton-Magic union
Sexton's future with the Jazz remains uncertain as he approaches the last year of his current contract with them. He has voiced his loyalty and appreciation for the Jazz, which signifies that if they want to keep him, the feeling is mutual.
However, the Jazz may want to invest more time in developing Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier, which would make the prospect of keeping Sexton all the more confusing. If they decide developing their younger guards is the better option, Sexton could be on the market, and the Magic may have learned their lesson.
No one in Utah should have a bad thing to say about Sexton. He has embraced the team from Day 1, and he's made it clear he has no issues. Because of that, it feels right to trade him to a team like the Magic, who would currently have more use for him than the Jazz would.