Dallas Wings may still miss out on Paige Bueckers after WNBA Draft twist

[oldude]

Back in the 80's I believe a college QB named John Elway got drafted by a team he didn't want to play for. He told the NFL that unless he played for Denver he would play baseball, where he also got drafted. Elway played for Denver.

Bueckers has the leverage of returning to UConn for another year. When you got leverage you can move mountains.

Elway didn’t want the Baltimore Colts. So he showed up in NY to meet with George Steinbrenner and the Yankees who had the draft rights to Elway for baseball. He was honest with Steinbrenner, telling him he really wanted to play football. Steinbrenner liked Elway, and told him that he should use the Yankees to get the deal he wanted in football. Elway played the bluff. The Colts dealt their pick to the Broncos and the rest is history.

 

[hoophuskee]

You would do that deal all day long only if you are a Mystics fan and for no other reason. The Mystics have nothing to offer Paige by comparison to LA.

Of course Dallas wants her, but that doesn't mean they won't listen to trade offers. Switching positions with #2 pick LA for pretty much anyone from their roster (except Brink) and lets say another top pick or two in this draft and perhaps next year's too could definitely be worth considering.

Not enough. Paige is too great a player. They would be trading an all-time great. That's what Paige is projected to be. All-time greats keep thier teams in coentention. If the GM can't build with an all-time great then he doesn't belong in his job.

 

[oldhusky]

In terms of possible trade opportunities, another factor might be who else is available in the draft at the point. If you would be willing to trade the first pick, but could still end up with say Olivia Miles a couple of pick later, while picking up another couple of top players, then a trade becomes more likely.

I realize Olivia isn't nearly as good at scoring or defense as Paige, but I think she is the only PG prospect that "if" she declares could be a alternative with other substantial talent could be considered.

I also think the Valkeries could make a play. There advantage is they could offer anyone on the unprotected list in the expansion draft. Dallas could see if a couple of the best available players plus the #5 pick would be attractive to them, the Valkeries could select them and then trade them plus the pick to Dallas.

I doubt they would trade the pick, but if Paige took a stand on it they very well might.

 

[Just.A.Fan]

Not enough. Paige is too great a player. They would be trading an all-time great. That's what Paige is projected to be. All-time greats keep thier teams in coentention. If the GM can't build with an all-time great then he doesn't belong in his job.

An example of how all-time greats (potential all-time greats) get traded is posted just above your reply by @oldude. But my friend, I'm not disagreeing with you, only strongly hoping a trade can be made so that Paige will play in my backyard and in the years I have left I can watch yet another all-time great on a regular basis live.

 

[hoophuskee]

Back in the 80's I believe a college QB named John Elway got drafted by a team he didn't want to play for. He told the NFL that unless he played for Denver he would play baseball, where he also got drafted. Elway played for Denver.

Bueckers has the leverage of returning to UConn for another year. When you got leverage you can move mountains.

John Elway was okay playing baseball. Paige wants to play basketball. Her leverage is overrated. When you are at the top of the food chain you don't want to delay what's already been delayed. She could do it but she won't because she has already experienced the misery of not playing over a year and one-half. College ball will not delay her desire to show she is great at the next level too and compete vs her peers either.

When you are a superstar you want to prove you are a superstar. Elway was projected to be a super pitcher. There was a question for him which sport though he liked football more. Paige doesn't have a legit other altrenative. Returning to UCONN to delay playing against her peers in which she has grown up all her life a dream to play pro ball seems far-fetched. All her life I believe she was looking forward to this. All her life. Injury in the back of her mind too. Just can't see it.

"Pieces" do not equal "superstar" play. You can continually build year over year with a superstar.

 

[Hayven]

If I’m LA, I’m thinking of ways to swap the #1 and #2 picks with Dallas. That may include bringing in another team in, like Seattle, for a multi-team trade. Jewell supposedly wants out of Seattle due to the dumpster fire surrounding the organization. I wonder if a trade with Seattle for the 1 & 2 picks, with Jewell and Magbegor, would be enough? LA gets the number 1 pick, Seattle gets the #2, and Dallas gets 2 playoff experienced vets? Leaving SDS and Nneka to run Seattle into the ground.

 

[bballnut90]

Dallas has been one of those organizations that can't seem to get out of its own way. Arike is who she is and for whatever reason has been allowed to play her game for the Wings. This franchise should be better than it is but oh well.

Paige will go first in the draft and likely to the Wings barring some strange turn of events but there is a long time between now and then.

To be fair people said the same thing about Indiana until they landed Clark and started winning games this year. Now it’s probably the strongest up and coming franchise after missing 7 straight playoffs (in a league where only the bottom third miss each year).

 

[bballnut90]

If I’m LA, I’m thinking of ways to swap the #1 and #2 picks with Dallas. That may include bringing in another team in, like Seattle, for a multi-team trade. Jewell supposedly wants out of Seattle due to the dumpster fire surrounding the organization. I wonder if a trade with Seattle for the 1 & 2 picks, with Jewell and Magbegor, would be enough? LA gets the number 1 pick, Seattle gets the #2, and Dallas gets 2 playoff experienced vets? Leaving SDS and Nneka to run Seattle into the ground.

Loyd/Magbegor are only locked in for 1 year, so you effectively trade away 3-4 guaranteed years of Paige for 1 year with those 2. And I can’t think of a worse backcourt mate for Arike than Jewell Loyd. Arike needs an unselfish guard rather than another Mamba-mentality “I need my 20 shots a game” type of guard.

 

[Alydar]

And maybe Dallas takes Amihere.

 

[Stagnant]

Getting Paige probably changes how I handle the expansion draft if I am Dallas. Kalani brown and teaira Mccowan. I am not protecting either of them. Too much of the cap is going to them. And the league is heading away from centers like that. Soares is a better fit with Paige.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

To be fair people said the same thing about Indiana until they landed Clark and started winning games this year. Now it’s probably the strongest up and coming franchise after missing 7 straight playoffs (in a league where only the bottom third miss each year).

The comparison between Indiana and Dallas is not apt.

Caitlyn came into Indiana in 2024 with only one player left from 2019 #1 — Kelsey Mitchell.

• There’s been a steady rebuild and development of Indiana’s roster to the point that you could say Caitlyn was the final crowning piece of Indiana’s rebuild;
• I don’t think Paige has the same situation in Dallas.

If the WNBA is to make immediate use of Paige’s star power to capitalize on Caitlyn’s trajectory, Dallas is probably the worst place for that to happen:

• Dallas has been the graveyard of high draft picks #2 while at Dallas; only Sabally and Siegrist have performed noteworthy well in Dallas;
• Having a new GM, a new coach and a new stadium are all nice, in a build-it-and-they-will-come way (but will they? #0)…
• But, Dallas still has Arike…
• Hiring a respected coach that will change the center of gravity away from Arike will help (or trading Arike will be even better);
• And, Howard said she is leaving (I guess she can still change her mind, and that is a market signal I will look for);
• Same market signal with Sabally.

These headwinds are formidable. A new CBA and a “clean slate” may make them manageable. But saying that lightning will surely strike twice, in Caitlyn’s and Paige’s case is a little too unmoored for me at this point.

#0 Indiana is crazy about basketball. Not sure about Dallas. A poster who lived in Dallas has said the Wings are an afterthought in Dallas.

#1 Arike’s first year at Dallas.

#2 Since 2019, Dallas had the following high draft picks: Allisha Gray (#4 2017), Azura Stevens (#6 2018), Moriah Jefferson (#2 2016), Satou Sabally (#2 2020), Charli Collier (#1 2021), Chelsea Dungee (#5 2021), Awak Kuier (#2 2021), Bella Alarie (#5 2020), Veronica Burton (#7 2022), Tearia McCowan (#3 2019), Maddy Siegrist (#3 2023), Kalani Brown (#7 2019), Odyssey Sims (#2 2014), Lou Lopez Senechal (#5 2023), Jacy Sheldon (#5 2024), Stephanie Soares (#4 2023).