Would You Do It? (Bleacher Report Suggested Trade)
Los Angeles receives: Janelle Salaün, Kaitlyn Chen, 2027 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick
A player as good as Kelsey Plum has never been traded midseason, but if you're Golden State, you have to at least make a call here. The 5'8" guard is having one of the best all-around scoring seasons by a guard ever, averaging 23.9 points on 63.6 percent from two, 38.3 percent from three and 80.6 percent at the free-throw line.
The Valkyries have built an elite defense, but they still lack a go-to scoring option to push them into legitimate title contention. Those shot creation issues have shown up in the clutch, where Golden State's 95.2 offensive rating ranks No. 14, ahead of only Connecticut.
With Plum, there's no question about what she can bring late in games. Over the last two seasons, nobody has averaged more points per game in the clutch (3.8), and she's done it on great efficiency (59.5% true shooting).
Golden State also has the defensive infrastructure to cover for her weaknesses on that end. Veronica Burton is a fantastic point-of-attack defender, Gabby Williams is the best wing defender in the world and Kiah Stokes has been the best rim protector in the league on a per-minute basis.
The bigger question is whether Los Angeles would actually move her. The Sparks are 8-10 and only a game out of the 8-seed, but Plum is currently sidelined for at least 10 games with a leg injury. Where will the Sparks be in the playoff race in a month? And is it even worth pushing for a playoff spot with the risk of losing Plum for nothing in free agency if she doesn't re-sign?
On top of that, does the Los Angeles front office and coaching staff have enough job security to trade Plum and survive another season? That's likely the biggest question here.
If the Sparks did explore a deal, a return built around Janelle Salaün, Kaitlyn Chen (or Justė Jocytė) and two unprotected first-round picks would be solid value for an older star on an expiring contract. Salaün is only 24 and already the best 6'3" shooter in the league, while Chen looks like a real rotation guard in her second year, too.
Overall, Golden State's front office is working under a five-year championship mandate from ownership, so if they believe the roster around Plum is already in place to win a title right now, it may be worth doing whatever it takes to get a deal done.