WNBA Off-Season

[Dillon77]

Also, to shift gears and talk about what I really meant to talk about. The trade activity by Dallas really solidifies the notion that they won’t trade the number one pick. You don’t move around all of these separate pieces if you are going to move the #1 pick. Moving the #1 pick first would have been the priority.

Totally agree with that.

 

[cancontent]

This is a great point.

 

[Dillon77]

Props to Atlanta for making moves, but is anybody curious how Griner and B. Jones are going to fit together? Both play as paint-bound posts more often than not. Griner has actually shown a nice three in the past but you don’t stick 6’9” on the perimeter for extended stretches.

It’s very possible that Jones fills in as an excellent backup off the bench, but it just seems like an odd pairing to me especially if Charles returns. Add to that that Smesko has never really had a dominant big in his system, let alone two. I’m curious to see how it all fits together. Atlanta’s probably not in title contender territory with NY/Vegas/Minnesota returning their cores but the team potential is high for sure.

Brittany Griner has been a good inside-out passer and I thought that could work for Atlanta's three-pt. shooters.
But then signing Jones through a wrench into my reasoning, because she's not really that linch-pin type of center.

Atlanta GM Padover was initially a Trader Bill Laimbeer acolyte (geesh, we can't get out of his way today). And they liked overwhelming teams with posts. Here we go again.

 

[Dillon77]

This is a great point.

2026 will be even more insane, with most of the vets being free agents and the new CBA.
Just think, it will the the "inside out" of roster building: how do these free agents fit with my rookie contracts?

 

[ConnMotors]

The Mohegan Tribe paid 10 million dollars to purchase the Orlando Miracle and move the defunct team to Connecticut in 2003. Expansion teams currently cost around $150 Million.

The tribe should consider selling the team outright to one of groups wanting a team. Or, sell the team to the NBA and make a deal with the league to provide a G-League team to the Mohegan Sun.

This option is better because it would benefit the tribe as it would be provided with an alternate team to play in their 10,000 seat arena.

 

[Stagnant]

That would be a great profit for the Mohegan Tribe.

 

[12au]

So the Sun gave Dijonai away for basically nothing? I guess maybe they could be high on Sheldon. Could also be swapping in a cheaper contract.

 

[Stagnant]

That's a move that strongly hints at tanking. Carrington was the most improved player last year and a first team all defensive player. She is a player that is still on the way up. She hasn't hit her peak yet. And Dallas will get to see that peak and all they had to do was give up Jacy Sheldon? (Who I like.) What a bargain for dallas.

 

[Dillon77]

That's a move that strongly hints at tanking. Carrington was the most improved player last year and a first team all defensive player. She is a player that is still on the way up. She hasn't hit her peak yet. And Dallas will get to see that peak and all they had to do was give up Jacy Sheldon? (Who I like.) What a bargain for dallas.

@12au
My suggestion earlier this morning was to ask Curt Miller -- who drafted and coached Carrington while he was at the Sun -- for the #8 draft pick and a player like Sheldon, Siegrist or Senechal. Sun GM got that, but she also gave the #12 pick up that they received from the Mercury, which -- in my view -- brought the value of the trade way down.

I'm not quite as high on what Dallas has done. There are a lot of recognizable individual names coming into Dallas. Can they work together? But which rookie point guard -- if any -- in the draft will run them?

p.s. Sorry, Stagnant: I highly doubt new GM Morgan Tuck and the more senior execs around her are tanking at this point. Maybe not making moves you or others like, but not tanking.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I'm fine with the trade by Indiana. I know signing Howard was separate, but looking at all their moves together I think they did great. Smith wasn't happy there, moving her was best for all parties. There may be a lot of players they threw at that 3 position, but none of them really did much to earn minutes until Hull blew up during the second half of the season. By my count that leaves 3 players who did very little. Adding another viable option at that position is a very good move.

 

[Stagnant]

 

[Geew1992]