Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Los Angeles Sparks face a critical decision with Kelsey Plum entering free agency after a one-year deal.
- Three potential trades could maximize the Sparks' return while addressing Plum's desire for a new challenge.
- Each deal highlights different strategic paths for both the Sparks and the pursuing teams as the trade deadline approaches.
The Los Angeles Sparks traded for Kelsey Plum before the 2025 season in a move that felt very, very risky. She was only on a one-year deal at the time, so there was the worry she could walk and the team would have lost out on a valuable lottery pick for nothing.
She stayed, though, for 2026, but on another one-year deal, and The Athletic is now reporting that Plum is leaning toward not re-signing in Los Angeles, which puts us back in "yeah, this trade was a major mistake" territory. If that's the case and the team is going to lose Plum for nothing this offseason, it might be time to get on the phone with one of these teams and get a trade going.
A proposed Sparks-Valkyries trade for Kelsey Plum
- Valkyries get: Kelsey Plum
- Sparks get: Tiffany Hayes, Kaila Charles, 2027 First-Round Pick, 2028 First-Round Pick
I mean, this is the obvious landing spot. It keeps Plum on the West Coast and allows her to remain the scoring centerpiece for her team. It's just that her team suddenly goes from being one that needs every possible bit of luck on its side to sneak into the postseason to one that can potentially win a title.
I've written this season about how the Valkyries shouldn't make any in-season trades because they don't want to mess up the chemistry that makes them the league's best defense, but that was before I knew an offensive weapon like Plum was available. Yes, the defense takes a hit if you trade for Plum, but you can still keep Kayla Thornton and Gabby Williams in the starting five, so it's likely a salvageable hit, and the offensive improvement from having a bona fide go-to scorer is enough to offset that.
The Sparks get two first-round picks back as well as two players for salary-matching purposes. Tiffany Hayes is in the final stretches of her career and wouldn't really provide a ton of help at this stage, but I like the addition of Kaila Charles, who is having a down season as a shooter but is under contract for 2027 and has some appeal as a relatively affordable depth piece, which could matter depending on how the Sparks approach this offseason.
A proposed Sparks-Mercury trade for Kelsey Plum
- Mercury get: Kelsey Plum
- Sparks get: Sami Whitcomb, 2027 First-Round Pick, 2028 Second-Round Pick
In theory, the Mercury can offer a little less in terms of draft compensation here since their 2027 first-round pick looks to be much more valuable than Golden State's, considering the Mercury are currently a lottery team and their best-case scenario is probably finishing as the No. 8 seed if a lot goes right.
Phoenix is at a crossroads right now. The team lost Satou Sabally in the offseason and likely knew they'd be worse than they were in 2025, when the team played in the WNBA Finals, but they couldn't have expected they'd be this much worse.
The team either needs to blow it up and rebuild, or it needs to bring in a player like Plum to provide more of an offensive spark. The fit between her and Alyssa Thomas is a bit weird since both need the ball in their hands to be at their most effective, but Plum has experience working off the ball back in Vegas, so that can be figured out. Is this an ill-advised move for a team that would just be pushing back a much-needed rebuild? Yeah, for sure. Phoenix shouldn't do this. It's just also the exact move this front office would make.
Proposed Sparks-Mystics trade for Kelsey Plum
- Mystics get: Kelsey Plum
- Sparks get: Angela Dugalic, 2027 First-Round Pick
This is my favorite landing spot for Plum, and it's the spot where I think Los Angeles gets the best value back, since the Mystics have plenty of cap space and don't have to worry about salary matching. That means they can send Angela Dugalic, the No. 9 pick in this year's draft, instead of having to send a veteran who the Sparks wouldn't really want.
Dugalic has had some ups and some downs this season, and her struggles to shoot have been an issue, but the Sparks need as much young talent as they can get. Sending her back to Los Angeles, where she went to college, might help unlock her game more, as would the chance to get more minutes. The Sparks also get a first-round pick next season. I think this gets it done, but if the Sparks pushed back and asked for Cotie McMahon instead of Dugalic, I think Washington should still be willing to do it, though they'd obviously like to keep McMahon.
This trade instantly pushes the Mystics into win-now mode, so you probably only do this if there are assurances from Plum's agent that she'll re-sign in Washington. But this is a team that looks like it's one wing/guard away from being a true contender, and Plum fits that need. The team can move Georgia Amoore to the bench, which then also helps the second unit improve.
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