Grading Wings-Lynx big DiJonai Carrington trade
The Dallas Wings traded forward DiJonai Carrington to the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday. While Carrington is set to head to Minnesota, the Wings acquired two players and a pick in return. Guard Karlie Samuelson, forward Diamond Miller and Minnesota's 2027 second round pick are all going to Dallas as part of the deal. Center Teaira McCowan was waived in order to complete the trade.
Carrington was mentioned in trade rumors before the deal was announced Sunday. It seemed likely that she would be moved before the August 7 trade deadline. Sure enough, that is exactly what happened. ClutchPoints reported on Saturday that the Wings' primary focus is on a rebuild.
How did the teams do in this specific trade, however?
Lynx land DiJonai Carrington
Carrington, a 27-year-old forward, is a quality defender. She's had an up and down overall season, though. The new Lynx forward is averaging 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 35.4 percent from the field.
After beginning the season as a consistent starter, Carrington began to come off the bench in recent weeks. She wasn't a big fan of the move, but was willing to do anything she could to help the team. The Wings' decision to not start her was surprising, however, as the defense has struggled and Carrington would have presented a defensive upgrade.
Now, Carrington gets a fresh start with the best team in the WNBA. The Lynx's current 24-5 record is the best mark in the league and Minnesota projects to be a true championship contender. Minnesota already has a balanced roster but adding Carrington gives them yet another reliable veteran.
Wings' rebuild continues
Carrington is a good player, so it was fairly disappointing to see that the Wings failed to land a first round pick. The 2027 second round pick is respectable, but given the fact that Dallas is clearly planning for the future, the team probably should have landed either multiple second round picks or a first round pick. One has to imagine that Carrington's expiring contract led to the inability to receive a better draft pick.
However, the Wings were able to acquire two players.
Samuelson, 30, will be a free agent at the end of the season. She helps with the contract element of the trade. Miller has a club option for 2026 and will be a restricted free agent in 2027. The 24-year-old forward is likely the player that Dallas plans to make a part of the team's long-term future.
In 2025, Miller is averaging 4.1 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. She is shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from deep (averaging one three-point attempt per game). Miller's overall numbers don't jump off the page, but her shooting efficiency numbers are intriguing. She only recorded 9.7 minutes per outing with Minnesota this season, so she could emerge as a starting-caliber player if given an opportunity.
Samuelson averaged 3.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per outing to go along with a 33.3 field goal percentage and 35.3 three-point shooting percentage with the Lynx. However, adding her to the trade was indeed likely for salary-matching purposes as Samuelson is currently out with a foot injury.
Grades
The Wings could have done better, but this is not a terrible return by any means. The concern is that they only received one player who projects to be on the roster for the long-term future while the 2027 second round pick is not especially impressive. As mentioned, the fact that Carrington will be a free agent following the year surely played a role in the overall return.
Still, it's difficult not to wonder if Dallas could have received a better trade return.
For the Lynx, they give up two players who weren't receiving many minutes and a second round pick for a veteran forward with a proven track record. Sure, Carrington has been fairly inconsistent this season, but she is a player who can significantly impact a team's defense while helping out on the offensive end of the floor.
Final trade grades:
Lynx: A-
Wings: B-
Related: Candace Parker blasts players' salary demands after All-Star Game performance
Related: WNBA security called after unexpected object interrupts Dream-Valkyries
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