Dallas Wins the Paige Bueckers Sweepstakes

[cancontent]

I agree that Paige is, or will be, a professional and that we don’t know what Miller and his soon to be named HC have planned for this organization. But make no mistake, Paige will have enormous leverage, particularly if she’s named NPOY again and leads the Huskies to a 12th national championship. Whether she needs or wants to use that leverage is another question.

This attitude/mentality from fans on this board that she should use whatever leverage she has to avoid going to Dallas is what I don't get. When players like Eli Manning, Eric Lindros, John Elway, Jim Kelly, and others have done the same they've been seen as petulant or egotistical for making such demands. Now because of a person UConn fans don't seem to like, it's acceptable?

 

[oldude]

This attitude/mentality from fans on this board that she should use whatever leverage she has to avoid going to Dallas is what I don't get. When players like Eli Manning, Eric Lindros, John Elway, Jim Kelly, and others have done the same they've been seen as petulant or egotistical for making such demands. Now because of a person UConn fans don't seem to like, it's acceptable?

The 4 players you cite were all champions who are revered in their sports. Whatever petulance they demonstrated relative to their draft status was soon forgotten when they achieved success as professionals. Lindros, Elway & Kelly are Hall of Famers. Manning becomes eligible for the HOF in 2025.

The situation in Dallas is a real problem. If I were the new GM, I would reach out to Paige’s agent, behind the scenes, to see what Paige’s thoughts are. With or without Paige, the Wings need to seriously assess whether the future of the franchise is better served without Arike.

 

[ConnManFan]

Winning in the W requires lock down defense. Great defense is a much better predictor of success then an explosive offense is. Hopefully Dallas management recognizes this and hires a defense minded coach and realizes thaat the team probably advances quicker by subtracting players who wont play defense.

 

[oldhusky]

It’s something of a “chicken and egg” question. Does Arike dominate the ball in Dallas because she has to or does she dominate the ball because she’s always dominated the ball? What we do know is that in Arike’s 6 seasons the Wings have now fired 3 coaches and a GM, countless players have departed for greener pastures, former top pick Charli Collier is out of basketball and two top veteran players, Sabally & Howard, are free agents.

I think it is both. In my opinion Arike is best on a team that needs a high volume mediocre efficiency type of player. Good player on a bad team, not efficient enough and too much ball hog on a good offensive team. Come to think of it, she might be an interesting player that could create some interest for an expansion team.

There is also the defensive issue, not just that she is not known for her defense, but also she is a SG in a PG body. The reason small SG"s don't work well is not so much on the offensive end as the defensive one. But a small SG can work with a big PG, because on defense they switch roles. Example is Gray and Plum on the Aces.

Although on offense I don't like the potential fit at all, on defense Paige could guard the SG and Arike the PG which hides Arike's defensive issues just a bit, but overall in the long term I don't think there is synergy there.

 

[nickp91]

WNBA can’t lose the Wings and want to bring the Comets back Growing the WNBA in Texas should be a priority

 

[cancontent]

The 4 players you cite were all champions who are revered in their sports. Whatever petulance they demonstrated relative to their draft status was soon forgotten when they achieved success as professionals.

The situation in Dallas is a real problem. If I were the new GM, I would reach out to Paige’s agent, behind the scenes, to see what Paige’s thoughts are. With or without Paige, the Wings need to seriously assess whether the future of the franchise is better served without Arike.

Is a problem I agree, but I disagree that Arike is the core reason why as some are implying in this thread. Even before she was drafted there, the team had their issues. It starts with the front office and their decisions. Similar to Indiana until they hired Dunn. Hopefully, with Miller at the helm the Wings will make better decisions.

 

[oldhusky]

Because Paige is such a ticket seller; I don’t believe any team can afford to trade for the pick. Dallas would have to receive a massive haul for it to be worth it.

That could be. I don't think anybody thought that the Clark effect would be as massive as it was with quantum leaps across the board in attendance and viewership. Paige is being billed as this year's version of that, maybe not to that degree, but still major. It is hard to put a value on a player that has a major impact on revenue, creating brand new fans, but you still get to pay her a low first year salary, even for several years.

The new contract will probably be much better for the players, but Clark's initial contract when all things are considered might be the best value of any contract in the history of professional sports. Some players have turned teams performance around as much, but I can't think of anyone who impacted attendance or viewership, not just for her team, but of the whole league as much as last year.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Dallas is a train wreck. Of course it has plenty of company in that category.

 

[BobbyJ]

This attitude/mentality from fans on this board that she should use whatever leverage she has to avoid going to Dallas is what I don't get. When players like Eli Manning, Eric Lindros, John Elway, Jim Kelly, and others have done the same they've been seen as petulant or egotistical for making such demands. Now because of a person UConn fans don't seem to like, it's acceptable?

In the business world this would be considered being shrewd and assessing where your best opportunities exist. The WNBA is a business where profit and loss is involved. The teams/organizations don’t hesitate to move players in their own best interests so it should work both ways. I wouldn’t waste years of my career in a place I considered a bad situation so I wouldn’t expect anyone else to either. As they say, it’s nothing personal, it’s just business.

 

[PacoSwede]

Good thought. Play with Arike in Dallas or, hopefully, Azzi in CT. But decent chance Dallas will be back in lottery next year, too

it would a much better chance to avoid that by unloading arike.

 

[bschwartz]

 

[Scud49]

https://twitter.com/i/status/1858274377961279814

 

[cancontent]

In the business world this would be considered being shrewd and assessing where your best opportunities exist. The WNBA is a business where profit and loss is involved. The teams/organizations don’t hesitate to move players in their own best interests so it should work both ways. I wouldn’t waste years of my career in a place I considered a bad situation so I wouldn’t expect anyone else to either. As they say, it’s nothing personal, it’s just business.

Who has the ability to dictate where they get drafted in today's era of professional sports? Why are we expecting this to be different in the WNBA?

 

[Forego]

it would a much better chance to avoid that by unloading arike.

As I stated in a previous post in a related thread, Arike would be a perfect fit with the Mercury when Diana retires if they want to maintain their team leading number of technical fouls. The only downside to Arike moving to the Mercury is I would feel badly for Sophie Cunningham.

 

[bballnut90]

If I were the Valkeries, I would approach with a different package. Trying to keep next year's number 1 and hoping to get a second big time player to go with Paige, I would offer this year's #5 pick plus two players to be named later from the expansion draft. i think if prearranged, the Valkeries could in essence pick for Dallas, saying here are all the players available, pick two and we will select them and then trade them with the #5 pick for the first pick.

So in effect, trade away a franchise player in Bueckers for a #5 pick (in a draft that isn't very deep) and two left over expansion players? With all due respect, there's zero chance of that happening and Miller would be fired on the spot.

The Wings would be insane to trade away either Paige or Arike without even trying the two together. Paige is an unusually strong #1 draft pick who is likely to be a franchise player, so it'd be a horrible choice to trade her away for almost anyone in the league aside from maybe a Napheesa Collier/Caitlin Clark/A'ja Wilson type of player. There's no universe where Miller should trade away the #1 pick for any combination of lower picks when Paige is far and away the best prospect in the draft.

Miller should be fired if he trades away Arike for next to nothing, which many are suggesting he does. Arike is the franchise's current marquee player, you don't just dump her out of fear that she wont co-exist well with Bueckers. Paige is about as malleable of a player you'll find and will fit in well alongside her in the backcourt. Both have PG/SG skills and can create on their own or for others. It'll be an adjustment for Arike to play alongside her, but they'll likely make a great backcourt together. Perhaps most important, no one is expecting Dallas to be a title contender in 2025 and Arike's contract ends after the season, so at the very least you wait until the first year is done before making any rash decisions instead of just assuming this pairing isn't going to work and dumping your best player.

 

[Hedge]

This attitude/mentality from fans on this board that she should use whatever leverage she has to avoid going to Dallas is what I don't get. When players like Eli Manning, Eric Lindros, John Elway, Jim Kelly, and others have done the same they've been seen as petulant or egotistical for making such demands. Now because of a person UConn fans don't seem to like, it's acceptable?

Who says it wasn't acceptable? They were able to use the leverage they had to get the best deal from institutions that wouldn't hesitate to put their own interest first to the detriment of a player.

 

[BobbyJ]

Who has the ability to dictate where they get drafted in today's era of professional sports? Why are we expecting this to be different in the WNBA?

I didn't say they necessarily have the ability. But they have the right to try and shouldn't be criticized for looking out for their best interests. Would you draft someone who has privately told you that they don't want to play for your organization? I think I would try to trade the pick in that situation.