SALT LAKE CITY — What could be a busy offseason has started for the Utah Jazz.
And it turns out, Collin Sexton didn’t have much trade value.
The young veteran point guard, whom the Jazz have kept the last three tanking seasons, is finally on the move, according to ESPN.
The return? Charlotte’s big man Jusuf Nurkic. Oh, and the Jazz had to attach a 2030 second-round pick to make the deal work.
Nurkic is 30 and — like Sexton — is on an expiring contract. He averaged 8.9 points and 7.8 rebounds in 51 games last season between the Phoenix Suns and Hornets.
Nurkic has also played for the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers during his career.
Sexton spent three seasons with the Jazz after coming over from Cleveland in the Donovan Mitchell trade. In the last two seasons, he averaged over 18 points and shot around 40% from 3-point range as one of Utah’s top offensive players.
Sexton was one of a trio of veterans — along with Jordan Clarkson and John Collins — who were often brought up in trade rumors over the last couple of seasons. The trade is a sign that more such moves are likely to follow.
Austin Ainge, Utah’s new president of basketball operations, was clear that the Jazz would not be resting players or manipulating injury reports this coming season to manufacture outcomes. But this move shows that probably aren’t trying to win either.
This story will be updated.