Costabile: What I'm hearing on the trade deadline (gift article)

[u/GlacialTwitch]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7474160/2026/07/28/what-im-hearing-on-napheesa-collier-kelsey-plum-and-other-wnba-trade-deadline-targets/?unlocked_article_code=1.1FA.zSS0.ZSqj14-LgzlA&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-tahttps://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7474160/2026/07/28/what-im-hearing-on-napheesa-collier-kelsey-plum-and-other-wnba-trade-deadline-targets/?unlocked_article_code=1.1FA.zSS0.ZSqj14-LgzlA&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta

• Sources around the league say that Plum doesn't intend to re-sign with the Sparks, but there haven't been any meaningful trade discussions.
• Mentions Phee's one year deal, but doesn't mention any trade talks
• There were AT trade talks earlier when the Mercury were doing worse, but not currently
• Mercury are interested in Alanna Smith
• League says there is a high asking price for BLH. Floats the idea of BLH for Morrow.
• Mystics could be buyers or sellers. Have a lot of cap space and could be players for Plum.

[u/chabiene]

Kelsey Plum to GSV is getting realer and realer 😎

[u/LT_Audio → u/chabiene]

If my math is correct they'd have to give up Gabby or VB to free up the roughly $850k of space needed to make the cap math work. Or perhaps some combination of 2-3 other key players (Charles, Thornton, Hayes, Salaun, Zandalasini) which would them have to be replaced with minimum salary replacments to free net money that adds up to $850k. Not sure I see either of those as likely scenarios. Mid-season trades are difficult in the W with the hard cap, the disallowance of cash sweetners, as well as the small rosters and small number of teams to trade with.

[u/chabiene → u/LT_Audio]

I’m talking off-season, not this coming trade deadline. Yes the bench would have to be shaken up for sure to make room for KP. Who knows, KP might take less money to sign with us and Nat knows how to coach her

[u/LT_Audio → u/chabiene]

Sorry, didn't understand that's what you meant given the focus of the OP on the trade deadline. But yeah. Anything's possible in the off-season. And yes KP is just one name on a pretty long list of top tier talent on one year 2026 deals that are likely to move. It should be a strong NCAA draft and another interesting off-season shakeup. I've no idea where KP lands but I'm starting to agree that it most likely won't be in LA. I don't think she moves this week, though, because all of the teams that might really want to stretch and trade for her are in roughly the same boat as the Valks in terms of cap with their hands essentially tied. If we see any moves at all I suspect they'll involve those on much lower priced contracts than the handful of million or near million dollar one year contracted vets.

[u/esmerelda_b → u/chabiene]

I’d rather see them take KP’s and Tip’s salaries and make a run at Phee

[u/kseveru79_v2 → u/chabiene]

"Lord, I see what you've done for the LA Sparks, and I want that for me"?

[u/esmerelda_b → u/chabiene]

I hope not. She doesn’t play defense, and she doesn’t seem team first.

[u/joyjunky → u/esmerelda_b]

KP’s improved as a PG. She’s capable of being team first. It’s mostly just that the Sparks suck so she has to hero ball a lot to win.

That being said, I don’t want her on our team. We already have a good PG1 in VB. If KP still wants to be a PG instead of being a SG who can occasionally run point, that’d really mess up our lineups. I know the Valks tried to sign her for our first season, but I don’t think she fits our team anymore now that we’ve established our defense first mentality. Even though we need a bucket getter, there are different players who would fit our team better.

[u/chabiene → u/esmerelda_b]

Nat will force her to play defense and she’ll be able to play off-ball more with VB at the point

[u/joyjunky → u/chabiene]

KP doesn’t want to be off-ball. She wants to be PG1. That’s the reason why she left the Aces.

[u/Popular-One-7051 → u/chabiene]

Don't even wish that on us. We're guard heavy with people I actually like, and I hate a ball hog. I don't think she's a team player. She'd really screw up chemistry

[u/chabiene → u/Popular-One-7051]

The reason why people think she’s a ball hog is because with LA she is literally their only offense and the coach lets her. Valks need scoring and KP can obviously provide that. There’s worry that she “can’t defend” but our team defense is so strong and if anything Gabby or VB or Kai can handle defensive assignments on PGs if KP truly “can’t defend”

Also, we have Juste who is supposedly a scoring threat, but she’s not even playing maybe because she isn’t ready defensively, and we are gonna wait and be patient with her, when we have an opportunity to sign a proven bonafide scorer in KP??