Rookie point guard Colin Sexton, receiving his jersey from GM Koby Altman (left) and head coach Ty Lue. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Collin Sexton's peers think he could be rookie of the year, which would do wonders for the Cavaliers' transition plan.

In the run-up to the Cavs' 2018-19 training camp that starts with media day on Sept. 24, cleveland.com is taking a look at each roster player and what might be expected this season if this team is to survive LeBron James' departure and make a legitimate run at a playoff spot.

Sexton is 19 and the Cavs made him the eighth overall draft pick in June.

If he's as good as the other NBA rookies think (he and Deandre Ayton tied for the most votes among players drafted in 2018 to be ROTY), then Cleveland solidifies a spot (point guard) that gave them trouble last year.

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Season rewind

Sexton averaged 19.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists as a freshman at Alabama and turned pro. He shot .336 from 3-point range for the season, and just .242 in Southeastern Conference play.

Sexton set the school's season and single-game scoring records for freshmen, with 632 points overall and a 40-pointer against Minnesota in November. The Tide finished with only three players because the entire bench was ejected and two other players were lost to fouls and injury -- and nearly won the game anyway because of Sexton.

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Great expectations

The Cavs drafted two players this decade who won rookie of the year -- Kyrie Irving in 2012 and Andrew Wiggins (for Minnesota) in 2015.

This is supposed to be an entirely different situation for Sexton than either of those two because, for now, the Cavs kept most of their veterans with the hope of protecting Sexton from carrying too heavy of a burden.

Irving averaged 18.5 points on 14.6 shots per game as a rookie. Sexton, who wears Irving's old number 2 jersey, could see fewer shots than that with Kevin Love, Rodney Hood and maybe some 3-point shooters on the court. He also could, theoretically, thrive in the area where he performs best (driving to the hoop) with so much floor space.

But Sexton was a bad shooter in college, especially from deep. The room he may see this season may be the space between him and defenders, who should back off and dare him to shoot.

We are not yet sure if Sexton will even start when the season begins, though general manager Koby Altman said he viewed Sexton as an instant starter when he drafted him.

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Contract status

Sexton signed for the rookie max (for his draft slot) of up to four years and $20.2 million. The first two years of the contract are guaranteed with team options for the third and fourth seasons.

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Collin Sexton's Instagram

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Big summer news

Oh, you know, he was only a lottery pick, the Cavs' first since Wiggins (whom they traded right away) in 2014. He was first team All-Summer League in Vegas (19.6 ppg), signed with Nike, and earned the aforementioned confidence of his fellow rookies at the annual rookie symposium.

He found a place to live in Cleveland. He worked out (a little) with coach Tyronn Lue.

But, let's be real: Sexton's summer was made when he flexed while getting into a defensive stance late in a Summer League game guarding the Lakers' Josh Hart.