The Dallas Wings have been active this season, trading for Li Yueru and sending NaLyssa Smith to the Las Vegas Aces for a 2027 first-round pick. Turning Smith, who was not an ideal fit next to Paige Bueckers, into a first-round pick in a stacked draft was an opportunity the Wings couldn’t let pass. Smith, in turn, will get the chance to play for one of the best coaches in the WNBA and learn from great veterans.
The move also speaks to the Wings’ desire to find young talent that fits around Paige Bueckers. GM Curt Miller told reporters that the Wings were still hoping to be competitive while also building for the future. The Wings haven’t been overly competitive so far this season, though. If that trend continues, the Wings can make another move to secure the team’s future around Paige Beuckers. They could trade Arike Ogunbowale.
Trading Arike Ogunbowale could bring in a lot of assets
The Wings drafted Arike Ogunbowale with the fifth pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft. She quickly became the team’s best player and emerged as one of the top scorers in the league. The Wings haven’t found much success since Ogunbowale’s arrival, though. Since 2019, the Wings have only made the playoffs three times. Twice, they lost in the first round.
This season, the Wings likely won’t change that trend. With only five wins, Dallas is one of the worst teams in the league and far away from even the final playoff spot. Amid those struggles, Bueckers has overtaken Ogunbowale as the Wings’ leading scorer and most prominent All-Star. Ogunbowale is actually averaging career lows in points per game, field goal attempts, and shooting percentages. The fit hasn’t been seamless, which was to be expected with so many new players and a new head coach.
The Wings could decide to abandon the Ogunbowale-Bueckers backcourt and focus on building around the latter while allowing the former to play for a true contender. Trading Ogunbowale would also allow the Wings to accumulate even more assets for the future. If they were able to get a 2027 first-round pick for NaLyssa Smith, just imagine what they could get for Ogunbowale, a multi-time All-Star and one of the best scorers in the league.
Arike Ogunbowale will be an unrestricted free agent after this season
Like most veterans in the WNBA, Arike Ogunbowale will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. If the Wings have any indication that Ogunbowale is not happy in Dallas anymore and wants to look for a change of scenery in free agency, trading her would be a smart move. It would mean that they wouldn’t have to lose a star player for nothing.
This is not to say that the Wings absolutely have to trade Ogunbowale. Moving on from a star player is not a decision any franchise should make lightly. It is an option, though, if the Wings want to make Bueckers the true focal point of the team.