Will the Seattle Storm Trade Jewell Loyd?

Reports state Jewell Loyd requested a trade, but will she be traded?

Happy New Year, Storm fans! I hope everyone had a nice holiday break as we closed out 2024 and began 2025. It’s a new year, and that means the WNBA is going to pick up steam as we head into an interesting Free Agency period starting on February 1st.

Last month, the Seattle Storm organization announced that their independent external investigation of the coaches bullying and harassing players came up empty without any clear evidence that the abuse took place. Immediately after that news, Jewell Loyd requested a trade out of Seattle.

As we approach Free Agency, we know that’s where the first big moves will be made. But could a big trade also be on the horizon?

I guess the first question is … Will Jewell Loyd be traded?

Last season appeared to end on a negative note. A lack of effort, pride, and team chemistry bothered Coach Noelle Quinn.

“We are blessed to have these jobs. And so when you put on a Storm uniform... That should automatically engage pride and effort and all of the things, the intangibles… at the end of the day, we're hooping for a living. Stepping on a court should already ignite something within you. Period. It doesn't come down to schemes. It doesn't come down to actions. It just comes down to sometimes playing harder than your opponent. And we're not doing that right now. And we're not doing that together right now…” Quinn said after a disappointing loss to the Washington Mystics.

Whatever rift that has grown between Coach Quinn and Jewell Loyd, my question at the end of the season was, '“Is this something that can be repaired?” A lot of things can be said in the heat of the moment. Certain things piss people off but when they have time to cool down, reflect, and take a step back, that can often lead to fixing the problem or mending the relationship. “Time heals all wounds” right?

And we’ve all been there before. Maybe one of your best friends or family members did something that set you off. You’re absolutely livid and can’t stand that person as it happens. Most of the time, things eventually get resolved. Sometimes you even forget why you got so mad in the first place. Or maybe you do know but you’re able to understand the situation better, understand their perspective. Sadly, there are times when the damage is beyond repair. The wounds are too deep and those bonds are broken forever.

The first big question the Storm’s ownership, front office, coaching staff, Coach Quinn, and Jewell Loyd will need to determine is. Can we work this out? If the answer is YES - then the team moves forward building around Jewell Loyd, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Ezi Magbegor (all currently signed to the Storm for 2025). They likely look to bring back both Nneka Ogwumike and Gabby Williams. And then try to make some new additions to fill out the roster. That would include better three-point shooting and another post player.

This scenario would ‘run it back’ and try to build on what the team accomplished in 2024. While the Storm didn’t win any playoff games or get as far as they would have liked a year ago, they did go from winning 11 games in 2023 to winning 25 games in 2024. The new additions led to a significantly improved team overall. And we can’t forget, the Las Vegas Aces group did not win their WNBA Championships immediately. It took time to gel and become a cohesive unit over the course of 3-4 seasons. While the Storm’s transition in 2024 was more similar to what the New York Liberty did in 2023, even New York didn’t win the Championship in their first year together.

However, considering Loyd has requested a trade out of Seattle. It’s very possible that running it back is not in the cards. If that holds true, the next question is … When will Jewell Loyd be traded?

I did not expect it to take place before the Golden State Valkyries expansion draft in December. It wouldn’t make sense to trade for assets that the team would then immediately have to protect in the expansion draft.

For that same reason, it doesn’t make sense for the Storm to trade Loyd before free agency begins in February. If the Storm are set on agreeing to Loyd’s request to be traded, they’re going to need a better idea of the team’s roster makeup.

We know the WNBA Draft is scheduled to take place on Monday, April 14th, 2025. If a big trade is going down, it’ll certainly be before the amateur draft in April.

And if history can be a window into the future, we might know roughly when a big trade will take place. When the Seattle Storm traded Natasha Howard as part of a multi-team trade that sent the #1 overall pick to Dallas and Katie Lou Samuelson to Seattle that took place on February 10th, 2021. Back in 2018, when the Storm acquired Natasha Howard from Minnesota, that happened on February 7th. And when Seattle traded Katie Lou for Gabby Williams in 2022, that occurred on February 3rd. It’s a relatively safe bet that if the Storm decide to trade Jewell Loyd, it’ll happen sometime in February.

Seattle will need to be proactive too. Especially, after Satou Sabally announced during a recent media event for the new Unrivaled League, that she has played her last game for the Dallas Wings and intends to play with a different WNBA team this season. The Storm likely want to make their trade first or at least be on the phone working deals before Sabally is traded.

Of course, there is always the possibility the two stars could be traded for one another. However, since the Dallas Wings already have Arike Ogunbowale on their roster, it wouldn’t make much sense for them to also add Jewell Loyd. Instead, if the two are involved in a trade, it would likely be as part of a three or four-team trade with several moving parts going to multiple franchises.

We’ve established a Why, a Will, and a When. I guess that just leaves Where and for What?

Trade Proposals

Chicago Sky

Let’s get the most obvious one out of the way first. This deal would likely center around the Chicago Sky’s 3rd overall pick in the upcoming 2025 WNBA Draft. The Storm could certainly try to pry away either Angel Reese or Kamilla Cardoso from the Sky. Maybe Seattle could convince Chicago to part with Cardoso if the Sky valued this year’s current draft pick above her but the most likely scenario would involve a swap of Chicago’s first-round pick for Jewell Loyd.

Seattle could try to squeeze a little more out of the deal for themselves. Maybe they could get the rights to Dana Evans or Michaela Onyenwere (both Restricted Free Agents) or a second or third-round pick to go along with the third overall pick. But it may be as simple as Jewell Loyd for Chicago’s first-round pick.

New York Liberty

Jewell Loyd took a Free Agency trip to New York before the 2022 season. A year later, Breanna Stewart signed with the Liberty. Two years later, Loyd and Stewart will reunite in South Florida as teammates in Unrivaled for Team Mist. Could this lead to a reunion in the WNBA as well?

There isn’t an obvious trade for Seattle with New York that would result in the Storm looking like the big winners in the trade. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some options.

The Storm’s top choices for a trade piece would likely include either Betnijah Laney-Hamilton or Nyara Sabally. Assuming New York isn’t willing to part with those players, Seattle would then need to look at some other choices.

Leonie Fiebich appears primed for a breakout season in 2025. Her role significantly increased in the playoffs replacing Courtney Vandersloot in the starting lineup. While Fiebich has a lot of potential, the Liberty may be willing to part with her if it meant adding a talent like Jewell Loyd. Especially knowing how well Loyd and Stewart work together.

Another option would be to trade for Marine Johannès. To my understanding, Johannès is still considered a Reserved Free Agent which means the Liberty still have exclusive rights to her and would have to trade her rights for another team (Seattle) to sign her.

Whether it’s Fiebich or Johannès, ideally the Storm could get New York to include their first-round pick (7th overall) as part of the deal alongside one of those two players in a deal that would send Jewell Loyd back to New York. Or at a minimum, a player and a pick swap exchanging Seattle’s 9th overall pick for New York’s 7th (via Phoenix).

Indiana Fever

Could the Indiana Fever be a possible landing spot for Jewell Loyd? There are potential reasons why Jewell would want to end up there. Indiana would be a homecoming of sorts for Loyd who played her college basketball at Notre Dame. Outside of being traded to the Sky, the Fever would be the next closest to her home and her family. On top of that, joining Indiana would be a much better situation with a team that is ready to compete now for a WNBA Championship compared to the Sky who are in the early stages of a full rebuild.

From the Storm’s perspective, there are at least a couple of different options they could pursue. First, they could see if Indiana would be willing to do a sign-and-trade with Kelsey Mitchell and swap one All-Star Guard for another. While both are talented guards, Loyd has had more success in the WNBA on both an individual and team level.

There are reasons why the Fever might reject that proposal as Mitchell has already developed chemistry with Indiana’s other core pieces in Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. Mitchell is also two years younger than Jewell.

If Indiana wasn’t interested in making that deal, Seattle could look at acquiring NaLyssa Smith. Smith has flashed potential at the WNBA level where she averaged 15.5 PPG and 9.2 RPG during her second year in the league in 2023. However, with the addition of Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, the Fever have centered their focus around those two players and Smith was lost in the shuffle a bit during the 2024 season.

Smith may benefit from a fresh start outside of Indiana. Seattle could look to build a younger core around Ezi Magbegor (25 years old), NaLyssa Smith (24), and Jordan Horston (23) if this deal was made.

Those are the main options Seattle could look at regarding a deal with the Fever. They could also look at something like getting Indiana’s first-round pick (8th overall) and their first-round pick in 2026 or possibly Grace Berger as a backup to Skylar Diggins-Smith and Indiana’s first-round pick. However, because Indiana is no longer drafting in the lottery, any deal like that wouldn’t be worth giving up Jewell Loyd in exchange for.

Golden State Valkyries

If the Golden State Valkyries are looking to make a splash, they certainly didn’t do it in their expansion draft. To be fair to them, they were limited in what players were available to them. In some instances, they were so limited, that they didn’t even bother to take a player (looking at you Seattle).

What better way to make a splash than trading for six-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA Champion, Jewell Loyd?

As an expansion team, the Valkyries’ best asset is probably their first-round pick (5th overall). Seattle could try to get Golden State’s first-round pick in both 2025 and 2026 in exchange for Jewell. As an expansion franchise, GSV likely wouldn’t want to part with a future first-round pick that could turn into the #1 overall pick in 2026.

In that case, as the 5th overall pick alone isn’t enough for Loyd, Seattle could ask for another younger player. Players like Iliana Rupert or Carla Leite could be options to pair with the Valkyries’ early draft pick.

Las Vegas Aces

This one probably isn’t too realistic but would be about as good as Seattle could do in a trade. Kelsey Plum is an Unrestricted Free Agent but has been Cored by the Las Vegas Aces. That means, the only way Plum isn’t playing for the Aces in 2025 is if the team trades her. It is highly unlikely that Las Vegas would be willing to trade Kelsey Plum, even if it meant acquiring a very talented guard like Jewell Loyd.

While I feel this trade is unlikely as Las Vegas would be risking chemistry issues by swapping Plum for Loyd. It’s not completely without merit. Coach Becky Hammon and the Aces’s front office may take a look at the WNBA landscape, take a look at their playoff matchup against New York in 2024, and determine that the “Status Quo” isn’t good enough. With the CBA being completely reworked for 2026 and beyond, there is no guarantee this core group in Las Vegas will stay together for several more seasons. 2025 could be their last shot with this current group. Do they have a better chance to beat the New York Liberty with Jewell Loyd or Kelsey Plum?

I think it’s fair to say that Loyd is a better defender than Plum. Throughout their careers, Loyd averages more steals, blocks, and rebounds. They are both legitimate scorers. And while it is true that Jewell’s efficiency has taken a significant dip over the past two seasons. Plum also had a down shooting year this past season. Plum’s field goal percentage dropped by roughly 5% points between 2023 and 2024.

For the Storm, adding Plum would be a win for both on the court and in the marketing department. Just as trading Loyd to Chicago would be a homecoming for Jewell, bringing Plum to Seattle would be a homecoming for the former Washington Huskies graduate.

Thoughts?

Do you think the Storm will honor Loyd’s request and trade her this off-season? Or do you think they make it work and keep her here in 2025? If they do trade Jewell, which trade would you like to see? Which trade do you think is the most realistic? Let me know in the comments section below!

Notes:
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