The Connecticut Sun, New York Liberty and Dallas Wings are finalizing a three-team commerce, sending 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones to the Liberty, in accordance to a number of reviews Sunday. Winsidr was the primary to report the news. Here’s what you want to know:
- Kayla Thornton can also be going to New York from Connecticut. Natasha Howard and Crystal Dangerfield are going to the Wings from New York. The Sun will obtain the No. 6 choose Rebecca Allen from the Liberty and Tyasha Harris from the Wings. TheNextHoops was the primary to report the gamers concerned in the commerce.
- Jones, 29, averaged 14.6 factors, 8.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per sport final season with the Connecticut Sun.
- She has spent the primary six seasons of her profession with the Sun, taking part in in 196 video games whereas averaging 13.6 factors, 8.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per sport.
- Connecticut re-signed Jones, a four-time All-Star, to a core qualifying provide in February 2022.
Backstory
Jones has been a core participant for the Sun since becoming a member of the group in 2016. She was chosen No. 6 in the 2016 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks, then traded to Connecticut, the place she led the group in factors, rebounds and blocks per sport final yr.
Despite Jones’ manufacturing final season, there appeared to be some friction inside the group about how to optimize the group’s bigs, which embody Alyssa Thomas and Brionna Jones. Jonquel appeared to have to sacrifice probably the most when all three have been out there in 2022.
Scouting report
Jones is without doubt one of the most versatile gamers in the league, a 6-foot-6 heart who can simply as simply bang round in the put up as she will be able to take defenders off the dribble from the perimeter. Her stepback jumper is manner too clean for a conventional heart, however she nonetheless features as an imposing rim-protecting massive in the paint.
But for a participant as individually dominant as Jones, it’s shocking how typically she will be able to seemingly fade out of a sport. Perhaps Jones was restricted by taking part in with two different All-Star bigs on the Sun roster, however she wants to present extra aggression. An idealized model of Jones would extra persistently take over on offense as a result of she is near-unguardable when she calls for the ball. — Merchant
Liberty, Sun commerce takeaways
New York has been getting ready for an enormous famous person splash this summer time, and now they may have two. By transferring off of Howard’s cash in this commerce, the Liberty have Jonquel Jones and will nonetheless add Breanna Stewart in free company.
But specializing in the parameters of this specific deal, Jones is strictly the type of stretch 5 New York has been making an attempt to pair with Sabrina Ionescu, a profession 37.7 p.c three-point shooter who will thrive with some extra space on offense. The Liberty additionally shore up their protection with Thornton, a switchy ahead defender who brings some physicality to her new group.
The Sun didn’t get the expertise bundle you’d anticipate for a group that simply dealt a former MVP, however maybe this was the very best they may do after Jones reportedly demanded a commerce to New York. What Connecticut managed to accomplish was turning Jones’ wage into two rotation gamers (Allen and Harris) and including some draft capital in the type of this yr’s No. 6 draft choose.
In addition to Allen, Harris and picks, the Sun may also have the ability to core Brionna Jones, making certain that the 2022 Sixth Woman of the Year returns to the one franchise she’s ever performed for. They’ll nonetheless have some cap mechanics to soar via to retain Natisha Hiedeman and Courtney Williams, however Allen and Harris present some wanted perimeter depth. — Merchant
What this commerce means for Dallas Wings
Considering her previous success with the Sparks, it’s not shocking to see the Wings making an attempt to bolster their protection with first-year coach Latricia Trammell main the franchise. Dallas was fourth-worst in the league final season in defensive ranking, however including 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Howard ought to assist in that space. While the commerce offloads Harris and Thornton, it stays value watching how else Dallas decides to deal with its offseason frontcourt choices.
Forward Isabelle Harrison is an unrestricted free agent and heart Teaira McCowan is a restricted free agent, and whereas including Howard provides Dallas one other All-Star, one who ought to make life simpler on star guard Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas nonetheless has quite a few different main roster choices which ought to influence its potential to contend subsequent season. — Pickman
Required studying
(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)