Collin Sexton will buzz off to Charlotte Hornets after the Utah Jazz’s highly-publicized drafting of Ace Bailey.
Despite each being trapped in lengthy rebuilds, the Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz created a bit of a buzz amidst a busy Sunday on the NBA transaction ledgers.
Per Shams Charania of ESPN, former Jazz star Collin Sexton will sing a new tune with the Hornets, who sent Jusuf Nurkic to Salt Lake City. Utah also sent a second-round pick in the 2031 draft in the deal.
Sexton originally came to Utah as one of the main yields of the famed Donovan Mitchell deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The four-year, $72 million deal he signed upon completion of that 2022 barter is set to expire after this coming season.
Having turned 26 in January, Sexton (17.5 points on over 48 percent from the field in three seasons with the Jazz) stood as one of the faces of the Jazz’s post-Mitchell era but became a bit redundant after the Utah obtained Rutgers’ Ace Bailey and Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. in this week’s NBA Draft.
Sexton could immediately become a depth hero of sort with the Hornets: Charlotte has a great deal of hope in backcourt talents LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller but each has struggled to stay healthy over the past few seasons.
Currently burdened with the NBA’s longest active playoff drought at nine seasons, the Hornets (19-63) are coming off their worst 82-game season since their first season under the Charlotte Bobcats moniker in 2004-05. The Hornets’ front court has undergone a major makeover over the past week, as it sent veteran Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns during the draft before sending Nurkic west.
Like Sexton, Nurkic, a well-traveled 30-year-old, is entering the final year of his contract, a $70 million deal bestowed by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2022. He came to Charlotte from Phoenix (previously being involved in the multi-pronged deal that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks) at the 2025 trade deadline and averaged 9.2 points and 6.5 rebounds in 26 appearances.
Acquiring Nurkic could hint at Utah (17-65) exploring a renovation of its own interior picture: Walker Kessler once again lingers at an attractive trade option while John Collins recently picked up his $26.5 million player option.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
