According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Los Angeles Lakers have signed Collin Sexton to a two-year, $19 million contract, with a player option in the second year. With that, the Lakers have officially provided Luka Doncic with something he never truly had when he was on the Dallas Mavericks: A true bench scoring option.
The Mavs flipped through a bunch of different guys. Tim Hardaway Jr. came off the bench at times. Jaden Hardy was an idea that never really panned out. Christian Wood came off the bench for a bit, and the Mavericks eventually let Jalen Brunson slip through their hands.
Sexton is a true sparkplug scorer, and he should be great for the Lakers.
Collin Sexton gives Luka Doncic a legitimate backup bench scorer
When you build around Doncic, you need about four different things. You need a great center to run the pick-and-roll with him, you need quality defensive pieces, you need three-point shooting, and you need scoring support.
The Lakers got their center when they completed their sign-and-trade for Walker Kessler, who is also a decent defensive piece. Quentin Grimes can play defense, too, and he’s a solid three-point shooter. And then there’s Sexton.
Throughout the course of his career, Sexton has proven that he’s fully capable of providing a team with buckets. And in recent seasons, he’s gotten much more efficient, too.
Last year with the Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls, Sexton appeared in 68 total games, starting just 22 of them and playing 23.7 minutes per contest.
He averaged 15.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 48.5% from the field and 40.1% from behind the arc on 4.1 three-point attempts per contest.
That three-point efficiency is a relatively new phenomenon for Sexton. He has quietly shot 39% or better from deep range for four straight years after some relatively rough seasons.
Having a consistent scoring punch off the bench will be great for LA as they attempt to give Doncic and Austin Reaves the best possible chance of competing for a championship.
When Doncic is off the floor, the Lakers don’t have to worry about having no scoring options. Sexton can create. He can put the ball in the basket. He can give the Lakers buckets.
This is a great move for the Lakers, and now, Doncic will have a backup scoring option – something the Mavs were never really able to nail down for him.
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