Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton exited stage left as soon as the curtains were drawn, playing under three minutes against the Indiana Pacers before spraining his ankle. Entering Monday’s matchup, he was averaging 18.7 points per game on .478-.414-.894 shooting splits. The bucket-getter’s scoring average is second on the team, behind only Lauri Markkanen‘s 19.3 points per game.
Jazz’s Collin Sexton Exits Game Early With Injury
As Sexton was only able to record two points on 1-3 shooting from the field before heading to the locker room, his numbers took a slight hit. In fact, he’s now averaging 18.3 points per game (which is still the Jazz’s second-highest scoring average). All it takes is one hot night or a few strong ones for that to correct itself though.
What’s more important is that his chances of being moved before Feb. 6, the 2024-25 NBA trade deadline, were impacted as well. The 26-year-old wouldn’t be the first player who was included in a deal while injured. However, teams may want to know the results of his impending MRI before committing to a trade agreement.
Collin Sexton might need a whole new leg.
Good hell everlasting. pic.twitter.com/CGIFNnQSQd— Hans Olsen (@975Hans) February 4, 2025
With that in mind, Sexton’s ankle sprain looked quite painful due to his foot bending inwards. Nevertheless, injuries often look worse than what they really were. Thus, nothing can be truly determined just yet.
Trade Winds
If Sexton were to be traded, it’s worth noting that he’s been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers also have an interest in Jazz center Walker Kessler. Though he hasn’t been connected to them officially, the Orlando Magic is a team that many believe he would be a fit for as well.
If he should land with L.A., he’ll likely be used in a sixth man role thanks to their recent acquisition of perennial MVP candidate Luka Doncic. In Orlando, he could retain his starting role given their backcourt’s scoring deficiencies. However, they’ve committed plenty of financial resources to Jalen Suggs and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who have been their starting guards when healthy.
If Sexton remains with the Jazz, he’ll almost certainly continue to start. In fact, there’s an argument to made that sticking in Utah is what’s best for his career right now. Due to the presence of Keyonte George and Jordan Clarkson, there’s been a minutes crunch for the combo guard. Yet, the Jazz have empowered him as they’ve become more comfortable with putting the ball in his hands.
Looking around the league, the only other franchise that he’d be all but guaranteed to start for is the New Orleans Pelicans now that Dejounte Murray has torn his Achilles.
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