Trade Deadline Approaches
Is Kelsey Plum getting traded? Will the Storm make a move?
The WNBA Trade Deadline is just a few days away on Sunday, August 2nd, at noon. We haven’t seen any major trades take place yet, but that could change over the next 48-72 hours.
The biggest rumor going around right now is that the LA Sparks will look to move Kelsey Plum before the deadline. Plum will be an Unrestricted free agent in 2027, and reports have indicated that she is unlikely to re-sign with the struggling Sparks franchise. Los Angeles made a major move in early 2025 as they were involved in a three-team trade that sent Plum from the Aces to the Sparks, Jewell Loyd from the Storm to the Aces, and the 2025 #2 overall pick (which became Dominique Malonga) to the Seattle Storm.
For one reason or another, Los Angeles has been a major disappointment despite this and other win-now moves like signing Nneka Ogwumike this offseason. The Sparks haven’t reached the postseason since 2020. LA fired its General Manager, Raegan Pebley, a couple of weeks ago, and the team might be looking to do its best to enter a true rebuild.
With their record (10-17), they are five games behind the Washington Mystics for the 8th and final playoff spot. With 17 games remaining on their schedule, could they catch Washington? Sure, but I don’t think it’s likely.
I’ve written previously that the worst thing a sports team can be isn’t at the bottom of the standings, it’s right on the fringe of being a playoff team. Teams should do everything they can to avoid being in a spot where the very best they can do is be eliminated in the first-round of the playoffs, but they also aren’t bad enough to land a Top 3-5 draft pick. If the Sparks trade Plum, it means they’ve accepted that their plan didn’t work, and they need to start over.
They should have kept Rickea Jackson and built around her and Cameron Brink. But they can still build around Brink and Rae Burrell. If they combine that with some younger assets or draft picks from a Plum trade, they might be able to build back into a playoff contender sooner rather than later.
Plum Trade Scenarios
Sparks trade Kelsey Plum to the Washington Mystics for Cotie McMahon, Cassandre Prosper, and Washington’s 2028 first-round pick.
Washington can’t trade their 2027 first-round pick because they need it to complete the pick swap with Chicago, which will likely result in the Sky handing the Mystics a Top 3 pick in exchange for one in the 7-10 range. Cotie McMahon would be the main piece going back to LA, but overall, that isn’t enough, so I’ve added Prosper and a future first-round pick. Washington already has Shakira Austin, Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Lauren Betts, and what will likely be a Top 3 pick in the 2027 draft. They don’t really need another draft pick in 2028 if they can acquire a talented guard like Plum. An alternative to this trade could be a trade of Lauren Betts for Kelsey Plum straight up. I’m not sure if Washington would be willing to part with Betts already, but they might if it landed them Kelsey Plum. Washington would likely need confirmation that Plum would want to re-sign; otherwise, it’s not worth it.
2. Sparks trade Kelsey Plum and Jihyun Park to the Golden State Valkyries for Tiffany Hayes, Kaila Charles, and either Justė Jocytė or the Valkyries’ 2027 first-round pick.
The Valkyries could use Kelsey Plum’s scoring, as that is Golden State’s biggest weakness and question mark heading into the playoffs. Because of Plum’s higher salary, Golden State would have to trade away 2-3 players to make a deal work. Hayes is 36 and has already retired once from the WNBA. Charles is a solid depth piece, but not worth trading away Plum for. Justė Jocytė would be the main prize in this trade as she was the #5 overall pick from the 2025 draft. However, Jocytė hasn’t proven much in the WNBA and has been passed over on the depth chart by players like Kaitlyn Chen. Los Angeles would only make this deal if they believe Jocytė has a lot of untapped potential.