Lynx get shocking Napheesa Collier trade update ahead of WNBA deadline originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It’s the kind of news that catches your eye immediately.
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The Minnesota Lynx are considering a trade of superstar Napheesa Collier? That’s what The Athletic’s Annie Costabile reported on Tuesday in a new article breaking down the WNBA rumors ahead of the upcoming trade deadline.
Once you look between the lines, it makes more sense.
Still, it’d be a seismic move in the WNBA if Collier was moved in a mid-season trade.
The basic premise stems from the fact that Collier is on an expiring contract.
“The back-to-back MVP runner-up has spent her entire career with Minnesota, which selected her with the sixth pick in the 2019 draft,” Costabile writes. “She signed a one-year, supermax deal for 2026 after being cored by the Lynx, and in doing so, she signaled to some degree that she’d like to explore her options in free agency.”
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Part of the problem for Collier is that the Lynx proved to themselves they could win without her. They’re 22-6, and Collier has only played one game so far after offseason surgery on both of her ankles.
“That is in large part thanks to Olivia Miles, who is playing her way into MVP discussions as a rookie,” Costabile writes. “Furthermore, the No. 2 pick is on the path to solidifying herself as the franchise’s future cornerstone.”
The biggest question for the Lynx is whether they feel they can re-sign Collier in the offseason.
“(Cheryl) Reeve’s task is to determine whether she has assurances that Collier will re-sign with Minnesota after the season,” Costabile writes. “That promise could be mutual, too. For example, Collier could agree to sign a multiyear deal as long as Reeve can guarantee that if she wants out at any point during its duration, the team will work with her to make that happen.”
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Even if Collier doesn’t express a willingness to re-sign, it’s a tough spot to trade from. As mentioned above, the Lynx have been awesome this season.
Do you trade Collier and lower your chances of winning a championship this year? That’d be a tough sell to the rest of the roster.
It’ll be something to watch very closely before the WNBA trade deadline arrives.
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