Hornets Already Exploring Trade Options for Collin Sexton - Just Months Into the Experiment
It hasn’t taken long for the Charlotte Hornets to reach a familiar conclusion about Collin Sexton - one the Utah Jazz arrived at not too long ago. Despite a productive stat line and flashes of offensive spark, Sexton’s time in Charlotte may already be winding down.
According to league sources, the Hornets are open for business - but not in a fire-sale kind of way. As it stands, Sexton appears to be the only player they’re actively shopping. That’s a telling development for a team still trying to claw its way out of the NBA’s longest active playoff drought, now stretching into its ninth season.
Sexton’s Numbers Tell One Story - The Wins Tell Another
On paper, Sexton is doing what you’d expect from a scoring guard in his prime. He’s averaging 15.5 points per game on an efficient 48.9% from the field and knocking down 36.6% of his threes.
He’s also chipping in 4.2 assists and nearly a steal per contest. Those are solid numbers - the kind that usually keep a player in a team’s long-term plans.
But here’s the catch: those numbers haven’t translated into wins. Not in Utah.
Not in Cleveland. And now, not in Charlotte.
That’s the part that’s harder to quantify, but impossible to ignore. Sexton brings energy, scoring punch, and competitiveness - yet the teams he suits up for rarely find themselves on the right side of the scoreboard.
That’s not entirely on him, of course. Basketball’s a five-man game, and team success depends on a lot more than one player’s nightly box score. Still, when a player puts up efficient numbers and the team keeps losing, front offices start asking tough questions.
Charlotte’s Angle: Looking for an Upgrade, Not a Fire Sale
From what we’re hearing, this isn’t a case of the Hornets trying to dump Sexton just to clear space or shake things up. Their interest in moving him seems more strategic - they’re hoping to find a player who can do what Sexton does, but at a higher level.
In other words, they’re not giving up on the season. They’re trying to level up.
That makes sense. The Hornets still believe they’ve got a shot at the Play-In Tournament, and they’re looking for roster tweaks that can help push them into that mix. Sexton’s scoring is valuable, but his limitations - particularly as a playmaker and defender - may be holding them back from taking that next step.
At 6-foot-1, Sexton has always had to overcome size disadvantages on the defensive end. And while he’s improved as a passer, he’s never quite developed into the kind of floor general who elevates everyone around him.
He’s a scorer first, second, and third - and that’s not a knock. But for a team trying to build a more balanced attack, that specific skill set might not be the best fit.
What’s Next?
The trade market hasn’t fully heated up yet, but Charlotte’s early positioning suggests they’ll be active as the deadline approaches. Sexton could be a valuable piece for a team that needs a scoring punch off the bench or a sparkplug in the backcourt. And given that Charlotte didn’t give up a major asset to get him - remember, Utah sent him out in exchange for an aging Jusuf Nurkic - the Hornets likely aren’t expecting a massive return.
But this isn’t about maximizing value. It’s about finding the right fit. And right now, Charlotte seems to think they can do better than what Sexton brings - even if what he brings is, statistically, pretty solid.
In the end, it’s a familiar story: a talented scorer who puts up numbers but can’t quite shake the perception that he’s not a winning player. Whether that’s fair or not, it’s the narrative that continues to follow Collin Sexton. And in Charlotte, it looks like that chapter may be closing sooner than expected.