Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Dallas Wings face a critical decision regarding their inconsistent star guard, Arike Ogunbowale, and a struggling frontcourt.
- A potential trade could address depth issues while offering Seattle valuable assets for their rebuild.
- The outcome of this move will test whether Dallas prioritizes immediate help or long-term strategy.
Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale is still capable of some big nights. In the team's rout of the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, for example, she scored 22 points and was instrumental in the win. Overall, though, Ogunbowale's inconsistency is an issue.
She's shooting a career-low 34.6 percent from the field this season and her 15.0 points per game would be the worst mark of her career. Additionally, the team has a minus-13.58 net rating when Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers share the floor without Azzi Fudd, while Bueckers and Fudd playing without Ogunbowale produces a plus-12.48 net rating. While the net rating with all three sharing the floor is higher than both of those numbers, it still suggests that a lot of the success is about the two recent No. 1 overall picks, not about Ogunbowale.
So ... what if Dallas decided to move on from Arike? What would a trade potentially look like that would make the Wings a better team? Considering some of the issues with Alanna Smith this season, the team might want to think about adding a big,
This Arike Ogunbowale trade could help the Dallas Wings
The Dallas Wings have too many guards. The Seattle Storm have too many bigs, and Ezi Magbegor doesn't really fit the current timeline as the team has Dominique Malonga and Awa Fam. Could this be a good match?
Dallas needs to figure out what's going on in its frontcourt. Alanna Smith was a huge offseason addition, but she's struggled to even see the floor and is no longer starting. The team has Jessica Shepard, who is playing like an All-Star starter, but has a lot of questions about who should be beside her. Awak Kuier and Maddy Siegrist have both taken turns starting alongside Shepard.
Magbegor theoretically solves that issue, though there is the complicating factor that she hasn't played yet this season as she recovers from a foot injury. This trade assumes she'll actually play this season, and that should happen, as she's returned to the floor for workouts.
At her best, Magbegor is an elite defender who can play both inside and outside on offense. Her 3-point percentage tanked over the past two seasons, but if Dallas wants to bet on her rebounding there, it'd be a good bet to make. Worst case, you get a versatile defender who immediately boosts the team on that ends and ends the rotating battle for the other frontcourt spot. Dallas would have to figure out who starts at the three, but you might be able to get away with playing small with a Bueckers, Fudd and Sug Sutton lineup, or you could play Maddy Siegrist more. It's not perfect, but fixing the frontcourt feels like sightly more of a concern than fixing the three. (And hey — maybe you could trade Smith for a three?)
Why would Seattle do this? Because the Storm are a rebuilding team that could use additional draft picks. Ogunbowale's potential to bounce back as the primary scoring option is more of a bonus than anything, and Seattle's biggest reason for doing this would be to add another pick that could help accelerate the rebuild.
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