Chicago Bulls' Collin Sexton Fined by NBA for "Inappropriate Gesture"

Collin Sexton has proven to be a viable asset for the Bulls since arriving in the Coby White trade last week. His actions in Chicago's most recent game, though, will take some money out of his pockets.

The NBA announced on Tuesday that Sexton had been fined $35,000 for making an "inappropriate gesture" during the Bulls' 123-115 loss to the Brooklyn Nets a day prior.

With 1:31 remaining in the third quarter of Monday's game, Sexton attempted a pair of free throws. His first shot hit the front of the rim and missed, while his second found the bottom of the net. Sexton subsequently extended his middle finger in the direction of the rim before getting back on defense and preparing for the next possession.

The shot marked Sexton's 17th point of the night and cut Chicago's deficit to 89-85.

Sexton eventually finished with 21 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal in his second game with the team. Despite shooting just 7-of-18 overall and 1-of-4 from deep, the 27-year-old guard played 32 minutes and had a plus/minus of +6 while on the court during the eight-point loss.

Only Isaac Okoro (36 minutes, 29 seconds) and Anfernee Simons (33 minutes, 51 seconds) played more than Sexton on Monday.

Sexton debuted for the Bulls against the Nuggets on Saturday, a 136-120 defeat to one of the Western Conference's top teams. In 29 minutes off the bench, Sexton totaled 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting, as well as four assists and three rebounds.

The last two games have yielded mixed results for Chicago's new guard. Sexton has combined to commit nine personal fouls and seven turnovers since the Bulls acquired him at the trade deadline.

Now in his eighth NBA season, Sexton is attempting to prove he can be a winning player ahead of his impending unrestricted free agency in the summer. He played a career-low 22.3 minutes per game while largely coming off the bench in 42 appearances with the Hornets this season.

Sexton averaged 14.2 points, 3.7 assists, 1.9 rebounds and nearly a steal per game in Charlotte while shooting 48.8% overall and 39.3% from three. He was acquired in the Jusuf Nurkic trade last June after spending three seasons in Utah. Sexton began his career in Cleveland as the No. 8 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, one slot after the Bulls selected Wendell Carter Jr.

Chicago traded for Sexton in a deadline deal that sent White and Mike Conley Jr. to the Hornets. The Bulls also acquired forward Ousmane Dieng and three second-round picks, though they later rerouted Dieng in a trade for center Nick Richards. Due to White's nagging calf injury, the prior trade was also amended so that the Bulls received only two second-round picks.

Sexton is playing on the final season of a four-year, $70 million contract that he signed in 2022. He is making $18.9 million total in 2025-26 between Charlotte and Chicago.