Kelsey Plum Trade Grades As Los Angeles Cashes in Star Nearing Free Agency

The biggest domino of the 2026 WNBA trade deadline has fallen.

The Los Angeles Sparks have traded superstar guard Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. In return, Phoenix is sending Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick to Los Angeles.

Plum becomes just the fourth All-Star to be traded during a WNBA season and the biggest since Sylvia Fowles was moved from Chicago to Minnesota in 2015.

With just 14 regular-season games remaining and sitting six games behind the eighth seed, can Kelsey Plum lead Phoenix on a late playoff push? And is it worth giving up those assets for a player who enters free agency this offseason? 

Let's grade the trade and break down what it means for both teams in the short and long term.

Phoenix Mercury: C-

Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images

Phoenix Gets: Kelsey Plum

There's a scenario where this trade looks brilliant. Plum could be exactly what Phoenix needs, helping the team win something like 10 of its final 14 games to steal a playoff spot.

There's also a world where integrating a high-usage star coming off a lower leg injury takes time and Phoenix barely misses the playoffs—after trading a first-round pick for Plum, who could leave in free agency a few months later (maybe to Golden State).

That's what makes this such a fascinating gamble. Even if Plum re-signs, it's fair to question what the ceiling is for a core built around a 35-year-old Alyssa Thomas, 32-year-old Kahleah Copper and 32-year-old Plum.

Let's start with the optimistic case. Plum is the best guard you could possibly pair with Thomas. She can create out of ball screens, is one of the best screening guards in basketball and an outstanding all-around off-ball scorer.

Before missing 10 games with a lower-leg injury, Plum was on one of the best self-creation stretches in league history. She shot 54.8 percent on pull-up twos, 46.5 percent on pull-up threes and 75.9 percent at the rim, according to Synergy Sports. She was putting up those numbers without anywhere near the top-end talent now surrounding her in Phoenix.

The Mercury's upcoming schedule also gives them a chance. Three of their final 14 games come against Washington, beginning with a game on the road on August 9. All of those are likely must-win games if Phoenix wants to make up some ground in the standings. 

They also have two games each against Dallas, Atlanta and Las Vegas. They'll likely need to win at least half those games to have a realistic chance—if not more.

But even if Phoenix sneaks into the eighth seed, what then? They'd see a dominant Minnesota team in the first round, and the odds they'd win that series are low. It's not like the Mercury have been good defensively to begin with, and now they are worse on that end. Akoa Makani was Phoenix's best point-of-attack defender and a key piece in their Finals run last year.

Most franchises wouldn't consider making an all-in move for a star on an expiring contract while being No. 12 in the standings. But much like owner Mat Ishbia has done with the NBA's Suns, the Mercury have shown they're willing to aggressively chase star talent, even if it means never making a top-10 draft pick.

Historically, though, the most sustainable path to building a WNBA championship contender has been through the draft. Phoenix wasn't going to be in the mix for the JuJu Watkins sweepstakes in 2027 regardless, but had the franchise pivoted toward a rebuild after this season, it could've at least had a shot at a generational prospect like Sarah Strong in 2028.

Ultimately, this trade comes down to one question: Does Plum re-sign? If she does, the deal becomes much easier to justify. But with an older core and a relatively short championship window, Phoenix may be investing a lot in a team that's good enough to make the playoffs, yet not quite a true title contender.

Los Angeles Sparks: A

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Los Angeles Gets: Monique Akoa Makani, 2027 first-round pick, 2028 second-round pick

This is excellent business from Los Angeles. If they held onto Plum through the deadline, she was going to walk for nothing in the offseason. Given how little leverage the Sparks had, landing Akoa Makani and a first-round pick is a terrific return.

The Sparks desperately needed a guard defender like Akoa Makani, and she's the type of player who fits regardless of where the franchise is in its timeline. She can defend both guard spots, knock down catch-and-shoot threes and consistently make smart decisions with the ball.

She'll likely always be limited from a creation standpoint, but as your secondary ball-handler next to a star guard, Akoa Makani is great in that role. On top of that, at just 25 years old in only her second WNBA season, she'll be on a very affordable contract.

Barring some insane lottery luck, the Sparks will likely pick at No. 6 and No. 7 in the 2027 draft. There's a lot of time until then, but imagine pairing Akoa Makani with Kansas' S'Mya Nichols or LSU's MiLaysia Fulwiley.

At 6'0", Nichols runs a ton of pick-and-roll and is nearly impossible to keep out of the paint. Her 79.9 percent free-throw rate is the highest by any high-usage creator drafted over the past 15 years. On the other hand, Fulwiley's one of the most athletic guard prospects ever. Her burst, change of direction, flexibility and vertical athleticism are all so, so special. 

Either player would really give the Sparks some creation juice, and then if Cameron Brink ever puts it all together, that's a great big to have behind them.

The Sparks still have to figure out what to do with Dearica Hamby's and Ariel Atkins' multiyear contracts, but considering just how bad the last few years have been from a roster building perspective, this move is a good start on pivoting in a different direction.