I’m going to be real here. There is a world where the Indiana Fever can fix all of their short-term problems with one trade. And it’s something that I think they need to at least explore. And it’s Cameron Brink. I think Cameron Brink for the right price will be available. I absolutely think Cameron Brink at the right price is going to be available for teams because Lynne Roberts’ current outlook of the Sparks rotation, via whatever it is, is pretty clear.
If we had a game tomorrow, Cameron Brink will come off the bench. And I think we’re all like, well, yeah, duh. Anyone who knows, anyone who is smart about it realizes, yes, Cameron Brink is coming off the bench. Why is Cameron Brink coming off the bench? This is because she’s not as good as Nneka Ogwumike or Dearica Hamby right now.
And I understand they let Azurá Stevens go and a lot of people thought they let Azurá Stevens go to give Cameron Brink a spot in the starting lineup, but she’s not going to start. And not only is she not going to start, she’s not going to start and she’s not even going to be the first sub off the bench. That’s probably going to be Erica Wheeler.
So, you’re looking at a player here who is going into year three, has two more years on a rookie deal, but she’s not going to start on a rookie deal because Nneka and Hami signed for two years. So, she’s not going to have one season as a starter on her rookie deal.
And as far as archetypes of players go, she has the potential to be the best possible version of Azurá Stevens mixed with Alanna Smith. That is what you’re looking at for Cameron Brink because I got to be real here. Cameron Brink has got an awful lot of potential and there are so many flashes. So many times I watch Cameron Brink and I’m like, “Yeah, I get it. I get the hype.”
But then if you look at, in general, her true impact when it comes down to it, you’re like, “Okay, yeah, it is what it is.”
So this is her rookie season. Pushing the floor, getting it out to Hamby, getting it back, finishing, being able to spot up, take it on the perimeter. She’s not a five, she’s a four. She is a shot-blocking four who has the ability to spread the floor if needed and play on the perimeter.
There’s a reason why Cameron Brink was seen so highly. And the whole thing with Cameron Brink, that jump shot as well, is that there is a lot of unrealized potential with Cameron Brink. I have to say that.
Even if you look at her last year, playing against the Storm, coming up against Malonga immediately. Good help right there. Gets the ball on the wing, can operate from the wing, can operate from the perimeter, does not need to operate on the inside.
And this is someone that is a perfect fit beside Aaliyah Boston. We were all wanting Alanna Smith, but obviously salary-wise it didn’t work. Cameron Brink is on a sub-500k salary this year and I think just over 500k next year. So, she’s going to be on less than half of what Alanna Smith would have cost, half of what Azurá would have cost.
And the trade price for Cameron Brink, I don’t think is going to be that high. I think Cameron Brink’s trade price is probably looking at the Fever’s 2027 first, finding a way of matching salary, which probably means getting off Ty Harris.
I don’t think the Fever are going to do it, but they have to at least look into it. You don’t put Raven Johnson in the trade and it fixes a lot of things. If you put Ty Harris in the trade, because I think their salaries nearly match up, I think the Fever can take something like 50k more. And I think it works out money-wise if they do make this trade.
So, if you put Ty Harris in it, it brings Ty Harris into a situation where she’s a backup one-two for the Sparks, who are a good team. She obviously leaves Indiana and it means that you’ve got the perfect long-term four to play beside Aaliyah Boston.
And because, look, I don’t think Cameron Brink’s commanding a max anytime soon. And even for next season, if it turns out that Cameron Brink takes Mo Billings’ spot, Mo Billings hasn’t started like 30% of games in her career. You can bring her off the bench.
It solves the Fever’s height issue and it also solves the Fever’s backup point guard conundrum by getting off Ty Harris and meaning that Raven Johnson just plays that position.
It is one of those things now where I’m looking at it and I’m like, if the Fever can pull this one off, it fixes a lot of their problems. It fixes the Fever’s size problem. And not only that, she spreads the floor. She shoots the ball. She operates from the perimeter. She doesn’t get in Aaliyah Boston’s way. She can run the pick and pop and you’re still having Aaliyah Boston as your five.
A starting five of Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham, Cameron Brink and Aaliyah Boston is the best starting five in the WNBA. No question about that.
And again, if Angel Reese’s price, who’s a significantly better player than Cameron Brink, is two firsts, a 2028 and 2029 first, if I’m not mistaken, then the Indiana Fever can surely give up their 2027 first.
I don’t think they’re really going to use it. They’re not going to bring in more than one draft pick a year. They’ve made that clear. You give up your 2027 first, 2028 second, 2029 second, and Ty Harris to match salaries for Cameron Brink.
And if there’s another way of matching salaries without getting off Ty Harris, you do that. Or let’s be completely real, maybe you trade somebody to the Portland Fire. The Portland Fire have cap space for that reason. The Portland Fire will be a third team in these trades. They are going to be a third team facilitating trades and taking cap space. That is really what they’re trying to do.
But this would turn the Fever from borderline contenders to major contenders.
And the Sparks are going to listen to trades for Cameron Brink. It is a given.
We saw it with the Mystics and Aaliyah Edwards. As soon as Kiki Iriafen came, they were like, “Okay, we are going to try to sell high on Aaliyah Edwards.” And they went and traded for Jacy Sheldon, who they thought was a better fit, and then they got a first-round pick for Jacy Sheldon.
So they turned Aaliyah Edwards into a first and a second. I think Cameron Brink’s stock is slightly higher than Aaliyah Edwards and I don’t think significantly higher.
And by the way, the only reason I say Ty Harris is just to fit salaries. I don’t want the Fever to do it. But I’m being real here. If it is a case of having to figure out some way of redirecting Lexie Hull to Portland, you have to consider it as a basketball team.
We don’t want to do it, but you have to consider it. If you end up having to relocate a player to Portland out of things and maybe throw Portland two thirds or something when you don’t use your third-round picks, this is a trade where the Fever have to at least entertain it and try to see if the LA Sparks will agree to anything to give them Cameron Brink.
Because Cameron Brink would be the piece that puts the Fever over the edge because of Aaliyah Boston, because of the depth that the Indiana Fever have all around the court.
And if you’re keeping that front court depth with Mo Billings and Dantas and stuff, there is a bit of front court depth for if she does get in foul trouble.
And look, she would fix a lot of the Fever’s defensive problems. She gives the Fever a spacer and she’s on a pretty good contract for two more seasons, especially while Aaliyah and Caitlin are still making their rookie-scale money.
I think this is something they have to entertain. Absolutely have to entertain it.
Anyway, I’ll see you.
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