CLEVELAND — As the NBA world fixates on where the Utah Jazz might trade star guard Donovan Mitchell, it appears he might not be the only member of the team's backcourt on the move. According to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer, the Jazz have recently explored a trade to acquire guard Collin Sexton from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for point guard Mike Conley Jr.
But while such trade talks will surely generate no shortage of attention, Fischer also noted that there are complications for both teams when it comes to a potential deal.
"The Cavaliers wouldn't appear to have a need for an additional point guard, and it seems unlikely that Conley would be the returning player Cleveland would prioritize if talks ever gained legitimate traction," he writes.
As Fischer alluded to, the Cavs don't currently appear to possess a need for a point guard after signing All-Star Darius Garland to the biggest contract in team history (five years, $193 million), as well as veteran Ricky Rubio ($18.4 million) earlier this summer. While it's worth noting that Rubio likely won't be available to play until later in the 2022-23 NBA season as he continues to recover from a torn ACL, Conley's $22.68 million salary this upcoming season -- with another partially guaranteed $24.36 million due the following year -- would make him an awfully expensive stopgap.
As for Sexton, the 23-year-old remains a restricted free agent, meaning that Cleveland has to ability to match any offer sheet that he signs with another team. At this point, there has seemingly been little movement for the No. 8 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, who could return to the Cavs on a one-year, $7.2 million qualifying offer before becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023.