The Sky’s attempts to clean up former coach/general manager James Wade’s trade failures continued Monday.
First-year GM Jeff Pagliocca acquired the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 draft from the Sparks in a sign-and-trade deal for guard Julie Allemand, the rights to center Li Yueru and the Sky’s third-round pick in the 2025 draft. According to league sources, Allemand signed a two-year deal. She also is expected to play in the WNBA this season, league sources confirmed to the Sun-Times, despite speculation that she would opt out because of obligations to the Belgian national team.
‘‘An additional first-round pick in 2024 will allow us to draft yet another valuable player and add a foundational piece to this roster,’’ Pagliocca said in a statement released by the team.
The Sky now have two first-round picks in the 2024 draft. The other, No. 3 overall, came as a result of trading franchise player Kahleah Copper — the last remaining starter from the 2021 championship team — to the Mercury.
There are major questions, however, about the depth of the draft class. Projected lottery pick Paige Bueckers already has announced her plans to return to UConn next season, and there is talk a number of other college stars — including Stanford’s Cameron Brink and even NCAA women’s scoring leader Caitlin Clark of Iowa — might follow suit.
Regardless of the star power of the draft class, the Sky needed to regain assets they lost in Wade’s trade last year for guard Marina Mabrey.
Allemand and Li have yet to hit their ceilings in the WNBA. Allemand has only two years of service in the league, most recently averaging three points and 3.4 assists for the Sky in 2022. Li, meanwhile, missed the 2023 WNBA season because of injury but is averaging 18.1 points and 10.7 rebounds for Besiktas in Turkey.
Their upsides don’t outweigh the value the Sky are getting in return with the No. 8 pick. Whether the draft class is as star-studded as it once was expected to be, the Sky are confident they can draft a player they can develop into a key piece for their future or one they can leverage in a future trade.
After the deal Monday, the Sky have $391,887 in salary-cap space and three roster spots to fill, assuming they will carry the WNBA’s maximum of 12 players. If they sign both players they draft in the first round this year, they still will have more than $200,000 in cap space to work with, although all the major free agents have signed elsewhere.
Re-signing guard Rebekah Gardner or using her in another sign-and-trade might be the Sky’s last remaining move in free agency. Gardner is a reserved free agent after the Sky extended her a qualifying offer, but she has yet to sign it, which indicates she might be moved in a trade.
What the Sky still are missing, as a result of Wade’s trade for Mabrey, is a solidified first-round pick in 2025. Because of the Mabrey trade, the Wings have the right to swap first-round picks in 2025. That means if the Sky fail to make the playoffs this season, they would send a lottery pick to the Wings.
Gardner and one of the Sky’s newly acquired assets might be used to regain control of a higher first-round pick next year.
