They had to sweeten the deal to trade Nurse, and that #4 trade was it. I get it. I don’t LOVE trading away #4 pick but they had to free up cap space. Tells me they have two big signings. My best guess is Nneke & SDS. With the Nurse trade, we can now afford two max contracts and two lesser contracts. I think we can snag a solid pick @ 14. The next few drafts are going to be solid so an extra pick no matter when in ‘26 should still be good.
I really don't like this trade, and it just seems like another in a long line of front-office decisions that leave me with any confidence that Talisa Rhea is right for the job she has. The Storm draft Jordin Canada to be Sue Bird's heir apparent at PG and instead let her go to LA while deciding Mercedes Russell was the better RFA to re-sign. Instead she became the Jim McIlvaine of the Storm. With Canada gone, they also sign a backup to Bird that was also retiring so they had no option at PG in 2023. They also had no backup plan for Stewie leaving for NY even though it was rumored for at least a year before she left.
I know we have to wait to see if someone like Nneka signs and great if she does (Dallas is teasing a major FA signing for tomorrow morning and they probably put Nneka closer to a championship than the Storm do but what do I know?).
The fans earned the #4 pick in a very deep draft for watching this team last season, and instead they gave it away to dump a salary they probably didn't need to take on last year, for what? The hope that LA is even worse in two years?
If the Storm don't make a big splash with free agency (and I think they should be given nothing longer than 24 hours to prove this), I think it's fair for fans to question the direction this team is headed.
There has to be another move coming. I don't see this as a Seattle Mariners type of situation where the owners just want the team to free up salary; not because they want to make a big move but just to save the owners money. Definitely give it at least 24 hours as I do expect another move to happen. Remember, they can't officially announce anything until at least February 1st.
At face value, this would be a horrible trade if there wasn't more of a reason behind it. If that reasons ends up being signing Nneka Ogwumike or Skylar Diggins-Smith (or ideally both), then I think the move is justified.
When the fans deal with a down season like 2023, usually the lottery selection is the one bright spot. I was excited about the idea of adding a player like Aaliyah Edwards or Rickea Jackson to this roster. But as I wrote about, if they don't make any big free agency moves, then they are just wasting Jewell Loyd's prime.
If they add Nneka, they almost certainly would become a playoff team. If they add Nneka and Skylar, if everything gels, they could be a Top 4 team. And then you just never know what happens during the season. The Storm could have possibly won championships in 2019 and 2021 on top of their titles in 2018 and 2020 but major injuries to star players stopped that from happening. It's never a guarantee any team is going to be super healthy at the end of the season.
I eagerly await to see what happens and is hopefully announced tomorrow.
Swapping a lottery pick for likely a non-lottery pick, for the privilege of offloading the mistake that was Kia Nurse’s contract, leaves mixed feelings. Glad to move on from Nurse and good to have extra cap space, but the pick swap is troubling…
I didn’t like the trade and agree with Chris. Front office messed up the year they lost Howard and Sami and traded away the picks.
But I guess I can’t yell Skylar Baby this year. I like her as a player but hopefully she cuts down on the complaining and drama.
Jeff looks to be correct. Free up space and get another top FA.
They had to sweeten the deal to trade Nurse, and that #4 trade was it. I get it. I don’t LOVE trading away #4 pick but they had to free up cap space. Tells me they have two big signings. My best guess is Nneke & SDS. With the Nurse trade, we can now afford two max contracts and two lesser contracts. I think we can snag a solid pick @ 14. The next few drafts are going to be solid so an extra pick no matter when in ‘26 should still be good.
I really don't like this trade, and it just seems like another in a long line of front-office decisions that leave me with any confidence that Talisa Rhea is right for the job she has. The Storm draft Jordin Canada to be Sue Bird's heir apparent at PG and instead let her go to LA while deciding Mercedes Russell was the better RFA to re-sign. Instead she became the Jim McIlvaine of the Storm. With Canada gone, they also sign a backup to Bird that was also retiring so they had no option at PG in 2023. They also had no backup plan for Stewie leaving for NY even though it was rumored for at least a year before she left.
I know we have to wait to see if someone like Nneka signs and great if she does (Dallas is teasing a major FA signing for tomorrow morning and they probably put Nneka closer to a championship than the Storm do but what do I know?).
The fans earned the #4 pick in a very deep draft for watching this team last season, and instead they gave it away to dump a salary they probably didn't need to take on last year, for what? The hope that LA is even worse in two years?
If the Storm don't make a big splash with free agency (and I think they should be given nothing longer than 24 hours to prove this), I think it's fair for fans to question the direction this team is headed.
There has to be another move coming. I don't see this as a Seattle Mariners type of situation where the owners just want the team to free up salary; not because they want to make a big move but just to save the owners money. Definitely give it at least 24 hours as I do expect another move to happen. Remember, they can't officially announce anything until at least February 1st.
At face value, this would be a horrible trade if there wasn't more of a reason behind it. If that reasons ends up being signing Nneka Ogwumike or Skylar Diggins-Smith (or ideally both), then I think the move is justified.
When the fans deal with a down season like 2023, usually the lottery selection is the one bright spot. I was excited about the idea of adding a player like Aaliyah Edwards or Rickea Jackson to this roster. But as I wrote about, if they don't make any big free agency moves, then they are just wasting Jewell Loyd's prime.
If they add Nneka, they almost certainly would become a playoff team. If they add Nneka and Skylar, if everything gels, they could be a Top 4 team. And then you just never know what happens during the season. The Storm could have possibly won championships in 2019 and 2021 on top of their titles in 2018 and 2020 but major injuries to star players stopped that from happening. It's never a guarantee any team is going to be super healthy at the end of the season.
I eagerly await to see what happens and is hopefully announced tomorrow.
Swapping a lottery pick for likely a non-lottery pick, for the privilege of offloading the mistake that was Kia Nurse’s contract, leaves mixed feelings. Glad to move on from Nurse and good to have extra cap space, but the pick swap is troubling…