RebKell's Junkie Boards

[Richyyy]

A few of these have already been published as part of our team-specific review/previews, but this is all my sections looking at the cap situations and rosters of all the teams. Part 1 today, Part 2 on Friday.

https://herhoopstats.substack.com/p/wnba-2022-roster-salary-cap-breakdowns

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Independent WNBA coverage: http://www.wnbalien.com/

[Stormeo]

Dallas for so long has had too many odds-and-ends assets. Atlanta, having declared its intent to rebuild, seems to need more assets. Methinks there’s a trade to be had between those two teams – not necessarily involving Chennedy Carter, either.

[root_thing]

Assuming we don't have a rash of retirements and foreign players skipping the season, it looks to me like too many teams are capped-out for there to be much movement. I know there are technically a lot of free agents, but where are they all going to find greener pastures? Most teams have enough money to sign their priority players, and then they have to fill out the rest of the roster with cheap contracts. Except for Atlanta, Indiana, and New York, there are no big salary slots to be had unless a team wants to dump one of their current stars. For instance, if you're Tiffany Hayes and you don't want to re-sign with Atlanta, where are you going? New York doesn't need another wing. Hopefully, Indiana has learned they shouldn't add another older player on a big contract. Of the remaining teams, who wants to drop a current expensive player and replace her with Hayes? The same is true with Courtney Williams. New York's GM said that high character is the team's first criteria when evaluating players. I don't think they'd be interested. Indiana already has the Mitchells who like Williams are small SGs -- although in theory Kelsey can play point. However, I'm not sure anyone is that sold on Kelsey as a PG. Again, looking at the other teams, who is going to drop a key player to replace them with Courtney Williams? It's not as bad for Dolson and DeShields, but I still think their offers will be lower than expected. There just aren't a lot of teams who can make a high offer, and even if they can find a creative way to do it, are these players worth the effort? We can even wonder about Tina Charles if Washington chooses to sign Meesseman or Hines-Allen instead. Clearly, there are teams that will be interested in Charles, but how many can afford her? And Tina wants to be on a contending team. If Atlanta, Indiana, and New York are the only choices, then what? Pray for Cambage to stay in Australia so that Tina can go to LVA? Hope that Quigley retires so that Chicago opens up? That's the thing with a 12-team league: there are very few options to begin with.

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You can always do something else.

[Stormeo]

Tina Charles only signed for $175k last offseason (as well as the one before, IIRC). She's clearly willing to take a discount in order to be on a team she believes will contend, and I believe she's basically said as much. I don't see that changing in 2022, but how much of a discount she's willing to take remains to be seen.

While I'm biased, I do think the Storm are in a position to sign one or even two splashy free agents, especially if they're gonna have Charles' disposition (or even be Charles herself). Even if Stewart & Loyd re-sign on the highest of supermax deals, Bird (assuming she doesn't retire, of course) has said she'll take a discount if needed, and I believe her. I think we're gonna lay it all on the line for 2022 because I believe that will be her final season.

[Richyyy]

Yeah, as I'll talk about on Friday, Seattle do have a somewhat surprising amount left even if Stewart/Loyd/Bird all re-sign. Obviously that still leaves Canada and Russell, who'll be hoping for a chunk of that, but there's always the option to spend it elsewhere.

root_thing's point about the lack of available spending money is definitely an interesting element this offseason. Everyone's still somewhat adapting to the new numbers from this CBA, and this may be when it fully comes home to roost.

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Independent WNBA coverage: http://www.wnbalien.com/

[Shades]

Russell was probably a big reason SEA felt comfortable letting Howard go. Letting Russell go now would be a bit confounding. There’s a lot of teams that would love to have her.

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Nnekalonians 1:14 - Thou shalt not accept that which is not earned

[root_thing]

I did notice that Seattle could add a big player if they were willing to let Russell go. I guess I just really like Russell starting next to Stewart. Mercedes can take on all the tough defensive assignments against big people like Griner and Fowles. That reduces the wear and tear on Breanna. I also think Russell is simply more effective as a defender against really tall centers than someone like Charles. At the same time, it's not like Mercedes is terrible on offense. She can give you some points when necessary. I'd be worried about Charles or another big offensive player needing the ball too much and ruining your chemistry. On the other hand, if a star restrains herself and is too willing to blend in, then she's no longer being used to full advantage. Maybe someone like Meesseman would work better. She's a player who can raise her game to star-level when asked but is also quite willing to take a back seat. I don't know. I just think Russell is a good fit for Seattle the way Alysha Clark used to be. Sometimes what's most needed is a role player to be the glue of a lineup.

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You can always do something else.

[Luuuc]

[Rock Hard]

I'm still walking in the clouds because the Sky won the championship this year. But, I have not forgotten about the Gabby Williams fiasco. My opinion was that Wade was under a lot of pressure to win a championship THIS year. He wanted all his players available to help win that championship. Gabby wanting to play for France this Olympic year threw an ugly obstacle into his grand plan. Desperate people often do desperate things. He was too impatient to respond to that obstacle in the proper manner and did not make the best deal possible for the Sky organization.

Now that the team has won a championship, the coaching staff can structure a clear vision for the roster going into 2022 and beyond. The coaching staff should bring in any new players that can excel in their system. What the Sky should learn from other teams is to not make your squad too top heavy that you can't afford to pay any quality bench players.

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You can win, as long as you keep your head to the SKY! Be OPTIMISTIC!

[Michelle89]

[Rock Hard]

For many years now Dallas fans on this board have wanted the Wings organization to use their young assets or draft assets to trade for a quality post player. 2022 is the year to make this dream happen. There are many star post players that are Unrestricted Free Agents and a few good Restricted Free Agents available in 2022.
If Dallas management does not get one of these posts players in 2022 then it will never happen.

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You can win, as long as you keep your head to the SKY! Be OPTIMISTIC!

[WfanFrJmp]

[root_thing]

Two things should be noted about Tina Charles:

1) She didn't play in 2020 and was actually sort of bad in 2019. So, did Charles deserve more than $175k before this season when she signed her contract? Was that really a below-market contract?

2) It's true Tina Charles has played for half-salary or even for free depending on who's reporting you believe. However, the balance of that money had to be paid by the team to her charity. Also, this generosity was within the context of making a large salary overseas which rendered her WNBA money much less important. She did not play overseas last winter, and the winter before that her Chinese season got cut short. When the Chinese Basketball Association tried to restart their season, Charles refused to return. That led to a financial dispute between Tina and her team. Eventually, the Chinese season ended up being canceled altogether. I don't know if the money situation was resolved. As far as I know, Charles is not playing overseas right now.

_________________
You can always do something else.

[DFWub2018]

[DFWub2018]

[DFWub2018]

[DFWub2018]

[Stormeo]

[DFWub2018]

[root_thing]

[J-Spoon]

[Stormeo]

Players like McCoughtry & Charles aren't gonna want to go to Atlanta right now, not when they're both hunting for a title and Atlanta is simply in too flux-y of a situation. Maybe the Dream will overpay for Hines-Allen (who had an injury-marred step-back season from her 2020 outburst and is still a 6-1 true post player), but other teams will certainly try and acquire her as well.

Sylvia Fowles is originally from Miami, but that's still a ways away from Atlanta, and it's hard to say what she wants to do these days on top of that.

Randy had a great idea the other day about the Dream benefitting from a salary-dump trade or two – if they're really committed to rebuilding, that is. There would be takers too, such as Minnesota (Achonwa), Phoenix (Hartley), Dallas (Jefferson), or Indiana (Lavender, Robinson, or TMitchell – all those contracts are terrible tbh). At any rate, we'll probably see salary-dump trades more regularly during free agency at this point of being in this CBA.

[J-Spoon]

I think the coach and new GM could sell Charles or McCoughtry or other vets on the idea that a team with say Charles, McCoughtry, Hayes, Ch. Parker, Deshields, Carter, McDonald and a lottery pick could be a contender.

It also really depends on what other offers are out there for them they might want a ship but how many contenders will have big money to spend.Maybe Vegas could afford McCoughtry or Charles if Cambage doesn't show but if they max out Wilson and Cambage how much money is left for McCoughtry or Charles? If everyone returns in PX maybe they could offer Charles Vaughn's 110k but even if Tina is willing to give a team a discount that would be a huge discount. Assuming Conn cores Jones they couldn't afford Charles, if Chicago bring back the ship group there probably isn't enough money to retain Deshields on a mid level contract can't see them having the money for Charles unless Quigley retires. If Washington decides to go with Charles over Meesseman and Hines-Allen that might be her best shot if EDD, Clark and Cloud are all healthy in 22 but my Charles to Atl idea is based on Washington going with Hines-Allen or Meesseman over Charles.

But assuming Atl can't get either Charles or McCoughtry, re-signing Hayes and bringing in Deshields and Hines-Allen and maybe Russell could still keep them competitive. I could also see Fowles maybe going to Atl as you mentioned. Holding onto Sims is also possible. Big contracts to Russell and Hines-Allen (reg. Max), medium big contracts to Hayes and Deshields (120-150K) more than vet minimum 90k to Sims might be enough to build something that can compete now but is still young enough to eventual be built around Carter and the lottery pick

something like

Carter/McDonald
Hayes/Sims/#15
Deshields/Dietrick
Hines-Allen/lottery pick
Russell*/Ch. Parker

* Russell might be a hard get if we assume MLoyd and Stewart are resigned for max and Bird comes back at a discount say 195K Seattle will still have enough to give Russell a big deal but probably not a max so Russell might be deciding between a reg max (196k?) with someone else and maybe 170k with Seattle. Seattle might be able to reg. max Russell but it would be good bye to Canada and Talbot and they would probably have to waive Prince and fill out the last few spots with minimums.

[DFWub2018]

[root_thing]