Collin Sexton

Sexton is an explosive scoring guard whose career has been defined by relentless aggression, downhill attacking, and a willingness to shoot from anywhere on the floor. Nicknamed the Young Bull, he entered the NBA as the eighth overall pick in 2018 and quickly established himself as one of the most fearless rookie scorers in the league, breaking Kyrie Irving's Cavaliers rookie three-point record and surpassing 1,000 points in his first season. His trajectory has since taken him from Cleveland to Utah via sign-and-trade and then to Chicago and Charlotte, with each stop offering a different role within varying team contexts.

Born Collin Darnell Sexton on January 4, 1999, he is the son of Darnell and Gia Sexton. He has an older brother, Jordan, and an older sister, Giuana. He started playing basketball at age three. He attended Hillgrove High School in Powder Springs, Georgia, before transferring to Pebblebrook High School in Mableton prior to his junior year. At Pebblebrook, he led the Falcons to the 2016 Georgia Region 3-6A title and the Georgia Class 6A state championship game, averaging 23.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. He was rated a consensus five-star recruit by Scout.com, Rivals.com, and ESPN, ranked the No. 7 overall recruit and No. 2 point guard in the 2017 class. On November 10, 2016, he committed to Alabama and signed his letter of intent.

At Alabama, Sexton played for coach Avery Johnson and delivered one of the most memorable individual seasons in program history. On November 25, 2017, he scored 40 points while playing three-on-five for most of the second half in a loss to Minnesota, a performance that became nationally famous. In the SEC tournament, he hit a game-winning buzzer-beater against Texas A&M, scored 31 points against No. 1 seed Auburn in the quarterfinals, and added 21 against Kentucky in the semifinals. He was named to the All-Tournament team after averaging 26.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists over three games. Earlier in the season, he was briefly held out due to eligibility concerns related to an FBI investigation into college basketball corruption, but he was cleared and made his debut on November 14 against Lipscomb. He declared for the 2018 NBA draft after Alabama's NCAA tournament exit.

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Sexton eighth overall on June 21, 2018. The pick had arrived in Cleveland through the Kyrie Irving trade, which involved a complex chain of transactions tracing back to the 2014 Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett blockbuster. Sexton was the highest-selected Alabama player since Antonio McDyess in 1995. He debuted on October 17, 2018, with nine points and three rebounds against Toronto. On November 24, 2018, he scored a season-high 29 points against Houston. On December 9, he scored 29 again against Washington. On March 8, 2019, he passed Kyrie Irving for three-pointers made by a Cavaliers rookie, hitting his 76th against Miami, and surpassed 1,000 career points.

Sexton continued to develop in Cleveland over his first four seasons, gradually increasing his scoring output and establishing himself as a legitimate offensive weapon. His ability to attack the rim, draw fouls, and finish through contact made him a difficult cover for opposing guards. On August 25, 2022, he was traded to the Utah Jazz via sign-and-trade as part of the deal that sent Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland. In Utah, his role shifted from primary scorer to a more balanced guard sharing responsibilities with other creators. He spent time with the Charlotte Hornets as well before landing with the Chicago Bulls, where his assignment is to provide scoring punch off the bench or in the backcourt rotation alongside the team's primary options.

Sexton is a score-first guard who lives in the paint and at the free-throw line. His strengths are downhill attacking, pull-up jumpers, three-level scoring, and an aggressive mindset that never wavers regardless of the situation. He competes relentlessly on both ends, fights through screens, and takes on defensive challenges. His weaknesses are a tendency to overdribble, inconsistent three-point percentages from year to year, and a style that can drift toward tunnel vision when the offense stalls. He is not a natural passer or a high-assist guard, which limits his utility as a lead playmaker. His ideal role is as a sixth-man scorer or a secondary guard who can carry the offense in bursts without being responsible for organizing the entire half-court.

Sexton's résumé includes a five-star ranking and the No. 2 point guard designation in the 2017 class, a commitment to Alabama, a 40-point three-on-five performance against Minnesota, a game-winning buzzer-beater in the SEC tournament, an All-SEC Tournament selection with averages of 26.3 points, the eighth overall pick by Cleveland in 2018, a franchise rookie three-point record surpassing Kyrie Irving, 1,000 career points in his first season, four seasons with the Cavaliers, a sign-and-trade to Utah in 2022, time with the Charlotte Hornets, and a current role with the Chicago Bulls. His journey from Pebblebrook through a legendary Alabama season into a multifaceted NBA career illustrates the persistence required to thrive as an undersized, score-first guard in a league that increasingly values efficiency, playmaking, and defensive versatility.