Delle Donne ain't worth the supermax or the max these days. But at least DC will get something for her.
it may not matter what she’s actually worth here. the fact is, she has automatically received a one-year supermax offer which she could simply choose to sign. maybe the Thibault’s are gambling that she won’t actually be willing to sign it, but that remains to be seen.
So if Delle Donne chooses to sign at the supermax, that takes away $208,219 of the Mystics’ available cap space and leaves them with just over $398,000 to sign a minimum of 4 more players. Assuming that another team offers a max contract to Cloud, it might be rather difficult for Washington to match it and still sign the minimum eleven players needed to fill out a roster.
So if Delle Donne chooses to sign at the supermax, that takes away $208,219 of the Mystics’ available cap space and leaves them with just over $398,000 to sign a minimum of 4 more players. Assuming that another team offers a max contract to Cloud, it might be rather difficult for Washington to match it and still sign the minimum eleven players needed to fill out a roster.
yeah, if EDD re-signs, even if for a value a bit less than supermax such as regular max, i think it automatically prices Cloud out even if Cloud wanted to return. unless the Mystics shed some salary in advance – anyone out there want Hines-Allen? – the Mystics probably could only bring back only one of Cloud & Delle Donne. sounds like Cloud’s looking to get paid big-time, too.
Last Edit: Jan 14, 2024 15:12:46 GMT -5 by Deleted
Yeah, I just re-examined my figures. If Della Donne signs at the supermax, it eliminates $241,984 of the Mystics’ remaining cap space. If Cloud then receives an offer at the regular max, $208,219, Washington couldn’t match it and still sign the three additional players needed to fill out a roster, not even if they traded away the number five pick for a future draft choice and tried to fill out the roster by signing three player all kwith less than two years of WNBA experience at the minimum salary for such players. If Della Donne chooses to accept the supermax offer, Cloud can be poached by another team needing a PG, unless, as you said, Washington is able to shed salary.
that’s one thing, one bad contract can really mess with a team’s ability to build/retain a roster. the contract extension Hines-Allen signed has been bad for Washington for its entire duration, as she hasn’t come close the past few years to looking like she did in 2020. of course, EDD’s own situation complicated matters even further. why Washington would be okay with both being back in 2024 for them is beyond me.
Last Edit: Jan 14, 2024 16:47:11 GMT -5 by Deleted
As I understand it, because Washington has made a core qualifying offer to Della Donne, she has lost the right to negotiate with any team other than Washington. If she wants, she can accept Washington’s core qualifying offer, in which case she and Washington will enter into a one-year contract for the supermax amount of $241,984. However, she doesn’t have to accept Washington’s offer. She and Washington are always free to negotiate a longer term deal for a lesser amount. Presumably, if the Mystics want to do a sign-and-trade, they will be in contact with other teams to assess their interest in Della Donne and on what financial terms. Maybe, if another team wants Della Donne, but not on a one-year contract at $241,984, she and Washington will agree, say, on a two-year deal for $180,000 in order to facilitate a trade to this other team.
Delle Donne to Indiana would be bizarre. I'd assume NaLyssa Smith would be involved in the trade. Diggins-Smith has already said no to going to Indiana. Don't see a veteran like Nneka, Jonquel Jones or Cloud going there either.
Indiana has only been able to get middling veteran free agents. it used to be a problem, but it now may not be a bad thing since they’ll have a young core – Boston, the #1 Pick, NSmith if she doesn’t want out – whom these pickups can mentor. it was certainly worse before when the middling vets were the core of the team.
as for EDD, i personally can’t see her leaving the eastern timezone, other than perhaps Minnesota. but admittedly, it is hard to see where she’d fit in anywhere. i think it’s a matter of which team would be desperate enough seeking a talent infusion in hopes of a title run to risk trading for Ole Broken & Bruised? she’d be a high return, but somehow maybe an even higher risk.
Outside of Chicago, I don't see her going to another Eastern Conference team. New York and Connecticut won't have the cap space. Atlanta will still be a middle of the pack team. Indiana might be a lottery team again in 2024 even with EDD.
the thing is, whoever wants her will have to trade for her, and average-talent veterans on mid-to-high salaries would be something other teams would surely be willing to give up in order to acquire EDD and still be able to balance their salary cap. i imagine that an EDD return package, while it probably includes either an interesting young player or a high draft pick or both, would include at least one veteran with a non-insignificantly priced contract.
The trade scenario to Connecticut would probably involve Hiedeman, Nelson-Ododa and picks. Sun don't have much under contract currently. But Connecticut would then have Thomas, Delle Donne and (assuming both return), Bri Jones and Bonner.
Indiana could be Smith and Wheeler, though Wheeler likely wouldn't be happy.
I guess this could be a way for New York to offload Sloot and might be a bonus in case Jonquel Jones doesn't come back. But that would force Stewart at the center spot full-time.
Last Edit: Jan 17, 2024 14:48:07 GMT -5 by toad455
The trade scenario to Connecticut would probably involve Hiedeman, Nelson-Ododa and picks. Sun don't have much under contract currently. But Connecticut would then have Thomas, Delle Donne and (assuming both return), Bri Jones and Bonner.
Indiana could be Smith and Wheeler, though Wheeler likely wouldn't be happy.
I guess this could be a way for New York to offload Sloot and might be a bonus in case Jonquel Jones doesn't come back. But that would force Stewart at the center spot full-time.
more than anything, i predict Washington will lose Cloud in free agency and thus need a PG as part of any EDD return package, so i'm operating under that premise. if EDD gets traded away though, i concede that that may open up enough cap space for Cloud to return, eliminating both important cap space as well as the need for a PG.
Connecticut: the Sun as a franchise desperate to win a title would make sense. and Hiedeman is good but certainly not un-tradable. she'd be a good vet to trade, although i don't know if the Sun would have enough young assets to throw in. if the Thibault's were okay with acquiring DiJonai Carrington as part of it, we all know she wouldn't mind a change of scenery lmao. i don't think the Mystics would need Nelson-Ododa with Austin already there. still, Hiedeman + either Carrington & a 1RP or simply two 1RPs doesn't seem hefty enough. but hey, Connecticut is technically where EDD tried to start her collegiate career... maybe the 'full circle'-ness of it all gets it to work out.
Indiana: Wheeler has to know she'd automatically be on the trading block the moment Caitlin Clark turns pro this spring. (and even if she didn't, Indiana ought to look into getting rid of the monstrous contract of Wheeler's that they helped create.) NSmith would be an excellent return piece on paper, but she has been known to cause a bit of a stir. still, if you're Lin Dunn, and you put together a satisfactory package for Washington that includes NSmith + Wheeler + a 2025's 1RP, you pull that trigger imo.
New York: if Sloot is open to going to Washington – would Quigley join her there as a teammate? – that opens up a lot of possibilities for both Washington and New York. the Liberty own the rights to multiple international players, for what any of those may be worth. Nyara Sabally has to be on the trading block, especially since she can play the PF spot. i don't think the Liberty can trade their 2025 1RP since it's one they own the rights to swap with Phoenix, but maybe Sloot + NSabally + the 2024 1RP (+ an international player's rights) gets it done?
Indiana with Clark and Delle Donne still leaves them with a hole at SF. Clark-Mitchell-Hull?-Delle Donne-Boston. Off the bench would be Berger-Caldwell-Vivians-Wallace-Cannon-Saxton.
Last Edit: Jan 17, 2024 16:56:56 GMT -5 by toad455
maybe there could be a fit there if Washington felt Connecticut had the pieces to [offer them &] do it. a frontcourt of BJones (5), AThomas (4), EDD (3), and Bonner (2) would be insane on paper, but not totally unworkable. EDD is talented enough to play the 3 even if it isn't her natural position, and fwiw i distinctly remember Bonner playing the 2 in a playoff game from either last season or the season before. it'd be a crazy long group, but hopefully not too clunky.
Indiana with Clark and Delle Donne still leaves them with a hole at SF. Clark-Mitchell-Hull?-Delle Donne-Boston. Off the bench would be Berger-Caldwell-Vivians-Wallace-Cannon-Saxton.
i mean we haven't even gotten to free agency yet. Indiana probably goes after a SF-type veteran on the cheap anyway, especially as it's not gonna be a need they address with the #1 pick. or hell, they gave Vivians a guaranteed six-figure deal; maybe they finally try getting their money's worth from her by starting her.
Indiana with Clark and Delle Donne still leaves them with a hole at SF. Clark-Mitchell-Hull?-Delle Donne-Boston. Off the bench would be Berger-Caldwell-Vivians-Wallace-Cannon-Saxton.
Forget the hole at SF. They would be even worse than they already have been on defense this season .
maybe there could be a fit there if Washington felt Connecticut had the pieces to [offer them &] do it. a frontcourt of BJones (5), AThomas (4), EDD (3), and Bonner (2) would be insane on paper, but not totally unworkable. EDD is talented enough to play the 3 even if it isn't her natural position, and fwiw i distinctly remember Bonner playing the 2 in a playoff game from either last season or the season before. it'd be a crazy long group, but hopefully not too clunky.
Any team EDD would play SF on is gonna get cooked.