Case For and Against Minnesota Lynx Trading Napheesa Collier
Minnesota Lynx head coach and President of Basketball Operations Cheryl Reeve made an interesting comment about her team potentially making trades before the WNBA trade deadline on Monday.
“I think every team is going to be opportunistic to improve their roster... We’re certainly a team that’s been, quote, 'open for business', open-minded, to things that are being talked about. And I think it'll be a busy week for us," Reeve said, per an X post from Andrew Dukowitz.
At first glance, it seems absurd to think that the Lynx would consider trading star forward Napheesa Collier this season. But an article that Annie Costabile of The Athletic published on Tuesday claimed that Collier "has to be considered a trade option" for the Lynx before the August 2 deadline.
This is why more than just a first glance is necessary when assessing whether the Lynx should truly consider trading Collier. We've decided to analyze why the Lynx should and should not truly consider trading Collier in the next week.
The Case For The Lynx Trading Napheesa Collier
The biggest reason why Minnesota would consider trading Collier is because of her contract situation. She signed a one-year, super-max deal after the Lynx cored her.
Most thought Collier would sign a multi-year deal like most of the league's other superstars. Yet, she clearly wanted a shorter-term deal, and comments Collier made about not signing a multi-year deal suggested she might want to test the free agency waters.
Therefore, if Minnesota keeps Collier for this season, they'd risk losing her for nothing in free agency, as opposed to trading her before the deadline and likely getting a huge haul in return. After all, while Collier has played in just one game this season, she was the WNBA MVP runner-up last year and is still one of the league's most talented players.
But the Lynx went 21-6 without her to start the season, which is another reason why they might decide to deal her. Olivia Miles appears to be the new face of their franchise, and the Lynx clearly still had a great thing going without Collier. At the very least, this makes a trade for Collier worth considering.
The Case For The Lynx Keeping Napheesa Collier
The case for Minnesota not trading Collier is pretty simple: She's one of the league's best players and increases their chances of winning a championship this season. Plus, she scored 24 points and tallied 10 rebounds in her season debut last week, showing she's still that same elite talent and can fit in the team's current scheme alongside Miles.
Even though the Lynx were 21-6 without her in the lineup, claiming that their team is worse off with Collier on the court is asinine. And while the Lynx as a franchise might be better positioned after this season if they dealt her, their priority needs to be winning a title this year—especially since they haven't hoisted the championship trophy since 2017, despite coming agonizingly close in 2024.
At the very least, Minnesota owes it to themselves to gauge where they're at once Collier and Miles' on-court chemistry comes together. That will take longer than a week, which would then mean keeping Collier instead of trading her before August 2.
Ultimately, while Reeve and the Lynx do need to consider whether trading Collier is the right move, it's very hard to imagine them deciding it would be.
Phee should finish this season in a Minnesota jersey—and might do so holding a championship trophy.
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Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
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