Mavericks owner Mark Cuban claps again at Colin Sexton’s push

Sure, it must be frustrating to be the owner of an NBA team — or someone in an NBA front office, for that matter — and always be filled with ideas for deals and deals that simply can’t work out under the rules of a MLB bargaining agreement. Unless a team has a lot of space set aside for the tournament, and very few do each summer, there are very strict limits on what can be done under the league’s rules.

But many fans do not understand this. That was the case when a Mavericks supporter for DM Dallas owner Mark Cuban decided on Twitter and pointed out that the Cavaliers had tied up free agent guard Colin Sexton was not happy with the offers he was getting from the Cavs. The suggestion was clear: The Mavericks should move to bring in Sexton, as the team lost Galen Bronson to open a free agency four weeks ago.

Cuban replied to the fan: “You need to know how CBA works.”

The Mavericks have no track for Colin Sexton

Obviously, that’s totally true, because there are no real ways to bring Sexton to Dallas this year. The Mavs can’t sign him on an offer sheet because they’ve exceeded the salary cap by nearly $50 million. They’ll have to find a way to get rid of all that salary, plus enough for Sexton’s offer sheet, to make room for Sexton to sign a deal — and even if they did, the Cavaliers would be able to match it.

In practice, it’s impossible to shell out $60 million to $70 million in salary at any point in an NBA season, let alone the end of the free agency.

The other path of Sexton’s landing is tag and trading, but that too is nearly impossible for the Mavericks for various reasons. Dallas is nearly $15 million above the luxury tax threshold, According to Spotrac, which limits its ability to co-sign and trade under the CBA rules. The Mavs would be awkward if they signed and traded with Cleveland, and they would have to shell out more salary.

Also, since Sexton is a restricted free agent and is accrued a raise in his next contract, a complex rule (known as a base year offset) will be triggered if he is to sign and trade. Dallas will have to send in salaries roughly equal to Sexton’s new contract number, but Cleveland can only recover 50% of that number.

It’s a complicated way of saying the simple thing: It doesn’t happen.

Sexton underwent knee surgery last November

The Mavs could, eventually, get to Sexton if the situation plays out how many expect it to – that the Sexton and the Cavaliers will remain in a stalemate, forcing Sexton to sign the team’s qualifying bid and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Of course, there is still a chance that Sexton will sign a new contract with Cleveland, if the Cavs bid, and be eligible to trade later in the season. This would put the Cavs in a position to at least get some payback on Sexton, who was the team’s first-round pick (#8 overall) in 2018.

Sexton averaged 24.3 points in 2020-21, but played just 11 games last year after tearing a meniscus in his left knee in November. Cleveland went 44-38 last season mostly without Sexton, so the team hasn’t prioritized its comeback this year.