2018 NBA Mock Draft: What if Memphis wins the lottery?

Do I think Sexton will end up here? No. Do I think it’s possible the Cavaliers do something very weird and unexpected with this pick, perhaps specifically centered around a mission to acquire another playmaker? Sure.

Sexton doesn’t make sense as a top-10 pick, simply because he has no elite skill. If Sexton is a top pick, he’s a core part of whichever team takes him. Ideally, he maximizes the talent around him as the team’s point guard and brings with him the potential to increase the team’s efficiency on offense or create problems on defense. It’s not very likely Sexton does any of those teams, as a below-average shooter, average passer and small defender.

That’s all true for teams that don’t reside in Cleveland.

Expectations are different, the picture of player value looks different, and the team’s needs are quite different for the Cavs compared with other teams. Think about their interest in Eric Bledsoe as a Kyrie Irving replacement, or their ability to stomach Jordan Clarkson’s contract, as evidence of their desperation for secondary scoring creation. Acquiring that type of guy through the draft makes much more sense than trying to sign him in free agency (see: Rose, Derrick) or trading for him (see: Thomas, Isaiah).

The Cavs are the wild card in this year’s lottery, and they could throw a curveball by taking someone ahead of schedule.