What Sky GM Said About Angel Reese After Trade Following 2025 Suspension Over Remarks on Teammates

Chicago Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca offered his perspective after executing a trade that's bound to be widely unpopular in the Windy City.

The team announced Monday it's sending Angel Reese and a 2028 second-round pick swap to the Atlanta Dream for first-rounders in 2027 and 2028.

Pagliocca said the deal was "designed to achieve roster balance and represents a great opportunity for all parties."

"Angel has achieved many record-breaking milestones in her first two years in the WNBA and has been a competitive force for the Sky," he said. "We are thankful for her many important contributions to this league and this game, and we know she will continue to have a big impact on the court and beyond. We wish Angel all the best in her next chapter."

Reese's future in Chicago had been a talking point ever since she spoke with the Chicago Tribune's Julia Poe last September and offered a candid assessment of the Sky's infrastructure. That earned her a one-half suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.

With the end of the 2025 season, the chatter around Reese generally died down. During his exit interview with the media, Pagliocca told reporters the 6'3" forward was part of the roster "until I hear differently."

That wasn't necessarily a ringing endorsement but basically the tone a lot of GMs have when discussing a disgruntled star as the offseason approaches.

Perhaps the Sky had plans to trade Reese much earlier than they did and had to wait because of the extended negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement. For example, the blockbuster swap involving Kelsey Plum and Jewell Loyd came together in early February 2025.

The condensed offseason schedule means personnel moves are unfolding a month out from opening night, so the timing of Reese's trade added to the shock.

In time, flipping the two-time All-Star for two first-rounders could prove to be good business, or at least less bad than many are viewing it now.

Reese remains a limited scorer, and being a great rebounder doesn't count as much in an era when teams don't put a lot of emphasis on that area. She ultimately may settle into a role as a good starter on a good team rather than a franchise cornerstone and No. 1 option.

But Reese is still growing as a player and could take a big step forward in the next year or two. The 23-year-old also provided value to the Sky as the face of the team.

Fans in Chicago have watched a succession of stars exit the Windy City, often on less than ideal terms. Most recently, the roster that delivered the franchise's first title in 2021 was almost totally stripped down within two years.

The Sky's record between 2024 and 2025 was 23-61. Amid all of the losing, Reese provided the fanbase with a reason to follow every game and feel some optimism about the future.

Now, that's all gone.

Pagliocca's belief that this is a mutually beneficial trade is going to fall on deaf ears and demoralize fans at a time when the morale wasn't that high to begin with.