NBA Rumors: Sexton, Wall, Cavaliers, Irving, Lakers, Westbrook

The Cavaliers have until October 18 to make a decision on whether or not to extend Collin Sexton.

While many believe that if the Cavaliers ink Sexton to a lucrative deal, that they will have a hard time fitting Darius Garland‘s looming extension (next summer) into their cap sheet, that is simply not the case, Bobby Marks of ESPN explains.

The Cavaliers will not be in the luxury tax for the foreseeable future, even if Sexton’s contract next year starts in the $22 million range. The deciding factor will not come down to finances, but whether the Cavaliers view Sexton as a player they can build a playoff team around.

Marks believes that the futures of Sexton and Kevin Love are the two biggest question marks for the Cavaliers heading into the season. As for Love, reports of him not having interest in negotiating a buyout agreement surfaced late this summer and it appears he’ll enter season eight with the franchise despite not having a concrete role.

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The Rockets may not be forced to attach draft picks to John Wall in order to move him, Marks speculates in the same piece. Wall hasn’t been a disruption for the young team in Houston and he’ll sit out as the team searches the trade market. If the Rockets are comfortable with Wall sitting (and paying him $44.3 million this season to do so) all year, they’ll address the situation next summer when Wall will be on an expiring deal.
Some around the league still believe Kyrie Irving has what it takes to be a star player on a championship team, Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson of Bally Sports explains. Although, as Robinson notes, now is the time for Irving to prove his doubters wrong and avoiding injuries will go along way toward that goal. The point guard has missed 70 games over the past two seasons.
LeBron James played a major role in the Lakers’ offseason moves, including the additions of veterans such as Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook. LBJ says he has a plan for the new additions. “I always figure it out,” James said (via Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times). James went into further detail about his fit with Westbrook. “As far as Russ, we need Russ to be Russ. We don’t need Russ to change for anybody,” James said. “That’s why we got him. And it’s our job to help him feel comfortable in our system. And he’s going to be as dynamic as he’s always been.”