Bold Angel Reese Landing Spots and Trade Packages If Chicago Sky Deal Star

It's been a whirlwind month for Chicago Sky star Angel Reese.

Near the end of the WNBA regular season, the second-year forward incurred a pair of suspensions, most notably a franchise-imposed half-game ban after Reese openly criticized the Sky's front office, coaching staff and roster construction in an interview with the Chicago Tribune's Julia Poe.

Trade speculation followed, and this week Front Office Sports' Annie Costabile shared her perspective on the Good Game with Sarah Spain podcast. While noting it was "just my opinion, not my reporting," Costabile pegged the likelihood of Reese returning to the Sky at only "between 20 and 30 percent." That sobering forecast underscores how tenuous the relationship has become. It's enough for the WNBA landscape to brace for a seismic offseason move.

In the interview with Poe, Reese even called out franchise legend Courtney Vandersloot, who's sidelined with a torn ACL, saying the team couldn't "rely" on her return given her age.

She later walked back some of those remarks, blaming "the messenger, not the message," but the damage was done. One anonymous WNBA executive told Dallas Hoops that Reese "needs to get the hell out of there," calling Chicago's handling of its star "embarrassing."

All told, what should have been a promising close to Reese's second season has instead spotlighted a growing rift between the star forward and the organization.

She is heading into the third year of her rookie contract. The Sky have a club option on her in 2027, and restricted free agency is looming in 2028. That gives Chicago leverage to either wait out the storm or shop her carefully.

If the Sky do explore moving Reese this offseason, a handful of contenders and up-and-comers could realistically make a run at her. Given that every team's roster is in major flux with the CBA hanging in the balance, parsing how a deal might shake out requires some creativity.

Let's get spicy.

Washington Mystics

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Washington has an abundance of young players on rookie-scale contracts. A trade for Reese built around Sonia Citron and the Mystics' own 2026 first-rounder could be a win for both sides.

Citron, who's only 21 and earned $78,831 this year on her rookie contract, already projects as a long-term rotation piece with upside. The Notre Dame product averaged 14.9 points per game, made an All-Star appearance and finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting this season.

Citron's defensive versatility and flashes as a floor spacer (44.5 percent from three) would make her a valuable building block for a Sky team in need of young talent.

Washington owns three first-rounders in the upcoming draft—its own and picks from the Seattle Storm and New York Liberty. Chicago would likely seek the highest of those picks, the Mystics' own.

For Chicago, swapping a disgruntled centerpiece for a controllable young wing plus a draft pick that will likely land in the top five would provide immediate clarity on its rebuild path.

New York Liberty

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The New York Liberty have already built one of the most stacked rosters in league history with Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu. However, Stewart called out her team for not playing "championship-level basketball" near the end of the regular season—ahead of a first-round playoff exit.

To extend this group's run, the Liberty may need to take a big swing and trade for one of the league's fastest-rising young stars in Reese. They could offer a package built around Nyara Sabally, who's under contract through 2026, along with 2027 first- and second-round picks.

Sabally, 24, has shown flashes of becoming a versatile modern big who's capable of bringing length to the block. On a rebuilding Sky team, she'd have the opportunity to expand her role and grow into a central piece.

For New York, this would be about the present and the future. Reese's rookie deal would be easy to absorb next to big contracts like Stewart ($208,400), Jones ($195,000) and Ionescu's ($208,060), provided the Liberty retain them in free agency (or via the core designation) this offseason.

Reese wouldn't need to be a first or second option in New York if this core returns. Her relentless rebounding and ability to generate second chances would perfectly complement the Liberty's firepower-heavy lineup.

Reese would bring star power to the league's biggest market, and New York would get a succession plan for its veteran core. Meanwhile, Sabally and two future picks would deliver both immediate value for Chicago and a chance to build toward the future with incoming draft capital.

Golden State Valkyries

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The Golden State Valkyries wasted little time proving that expansion teams don't have to be condemned to irrelevance. In their first year of existence, they leaned on a deep roster to secure a playoff berth.

With a foundation already in place, the Valkyries may be just one bold move away from turning their feel-good story into a real problem for the league.

A plausible Golden State package could center on Kate Martin ($68,595) and a 2026 first-round pick. The 25-year-old Martin has emerged as the kind of young, foundational guard whom Chicago has lacked. Combined with a top-10 draft pick, the Sky would add a young contributor now and another opportunity to land a future cornerstone.

For Golden State, the fit would be obvious. Expansion teams rarely land stars early, but Reese would give the Valkyries not just elite rebounding and physicality inside—which would fit their defensive identity—but also a marketable face in a competitive Bay Area sports market.

There will be an unprecedented amount of talent on the free-agent market this offseason, so a controllable young star could serve as the enticement that the Valkyries need to form a title-caliber squad.

Atlanta Dream

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With Rhyne Howard blossoming into a two-way star and Allisha Gray having a breakout year, the Atlanta Dream already have the guard and wing firepower to compete for a title. What they've lacked is a young frontcourt presence who can dominate the paint and energize the fanbase. Reese checks both boxes.

Chicago could reset by dealing for Naz Hillmon ($66,390) and a 2026 first-round pick. Hillmon is set to be a restricted free agent this offseason, so any deal would be contingent on her agreeing to a sign-and-trade with Chicago.

The 25-year-old is already a proven rebounder and hustle player, so she would give the Sky a solid frontcourt piece. The 2026 draft pick would provide a chance at something bigger down the line, although it'll be late in the first round.

For Atlanta, the move would be simple math. Reese's rookie deal is easy to absorb, and swapping Hillmon plus a pick for her represents the kind of consolidation move contenders make.

Reese would immediately slide into a frontcourt rotation that could lose Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner, both of whom are on expiring deals. With those veterans possibly gone after 2025, Reese would become the long-term answer next to Howard and Gray, assuming the Dream retain both impending free agents.

Reese's rebounding dominance and relentless motor would give the Dream the nightly interior anchor that they've been missing. More than that, she'd give Atlanta a megastar to market, a player who fits the city's energy and ambition.

This is the kind of swing that could fast-track the Dream into elite contender status after a disappointing first-round loss to the Fever.

Seattle Storm

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The Seattle Storm are one of the most logical trade partners. Seattle's current roster is built around established veterans like Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins, but both are 35 years old and facing free agency.

Reese, heading into her third season, would give them a rising star to carry the torch.

A realistic package would likely feature Seattle's 2026 first-round pick paired with Dominique Malonga, the 19-year-old rookie center from France. Malonga has the length and athleticism grow into a frontcourt anchor, making her an ideal piece for Chicago to develop alongside Kamilla Cardoso. Adding a first-round pick gives the Sky both an immediate prospect and long-term draft flexibility.

For Seattle, acquiring Reese means inserting one of the league's most marketable and relentless rebounders into a front line with Ogwumike and the 26-year-old Ezi Magbegor, should both impending free agents re-sign.

Reese's physicality would take pressure off Ogwumike, while her defensive versatility could allow Magbegor to slide between the 4 and 5 more fluidly. The backcourt would benefit from the second-chance opportunities and interior gravity Reese creates.

From Chicago's perspective, it's a difficult but calculated move: swapping out a potential franchise face for a blue-chip second-year big and future pick that better fits a long-term reset. For Seattle, it's a win-now swing that also sets up its next era.

Portland Fire or Toronto Tempo

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The W's two incoming expansion teams, the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo, are both set to debut in 2026. That makes the opportunity to land a rising star like Reese nothing short spectacular.

Expansion teams typically struggle to establish both an identity and a fanbase in their early years, but trading for Reese would supercharge that process. Her rebounding dominance, relentless motor and massive marketability could instantly give either franchise a face of the team and a competitive floor.

The Sky's leverage here comes from expansion economics. Both Portland and Toronto will enter the league flush with draft capital, including the premium picks awarded to new franchises.

A package headlined by a 2026 first-rounder and an additional future first could form the backbone of a deal. To sweeten the return, either team could part with one of their early draft rights from the upcoming dual expansion draft, effectively giving Chicago a mix of proven WNBA players and blue-chip rookie prospects.

For Portland, Reese would become the centerpiece of a franchise still ironing out its leadership structure, giving stability to a group otherwise starting from scratch. In Toronto, her presence would amplify what's already projected to be a strong launch: a basketball-crazed city and large international media market.

For Chicago, moving Reese to an expansion team would be the cleanest way to reset. The Sky would get multiple lottery-caliber picks and the breathing room to retool around Cardoso without the public pressure of trading her to a direct competitor.