Last week I asked Barry Uhrman why Phoenix gave up Chandi. Today he writes in and responds, and he throws in some anaylsis of the Whalen non-deal too:

The entire deal involving Phoenix and the 8th pick would not have happened had LA not backed out of the deal that would have sent Tamecka Dixon to Phoenix for the 8th pick. Phoenix was left scrambling when the deal fell through.

Phoenix was not sold on Chandi Jones' ability to contribute in the short term. There are questions about her ability to play when she is not the focus of the team, as well as her on-ball defense. Phoenix thought Shereka Wright was the safer pick of the two, and manged to get a backup point guard in the process (whoever sticks, Valek or Lambert...my guess is Lambert). Shereka does provide some versatility, as she is a slasher in a backcourt of perimeter shooters (Diana Taurasi and Anna DeForge). While those two can do other things, their bread and butter is their shooting. Shereka Brings a new dimension. The bigger issues are Shereka's ability to go left and whether or not she will get to the line like she did in college. If she cannot get to the line, Detroit got the better of Phoenix in yet another deal.

What I don't understand is why Phoenix did not take a post player. Hayden was not available, but Brunson was. It does not matter if Shereka or Chandi is in the backcourt, because Phoenix' frontline is still far behind the rest of the league.

I would have kept Chandi Jones. Chandi will be an All-Star in this league, while Shereka Wright will not be. Wright will be better in the short term, but Chandi will be better in the long term.

As for Whalen, Minnesota made an incredible offer to Connecticut for Whalen. The deal included three players (a combination of draft picks and current players), but the Sun wanted more. If Connecticut wanted Whalen, they got her. The Sun turned down a deal that could have strengthened three positions on its team. But they also turned down an incredible deal that I think Minnesota should not have made in the first place. Whalen sitting on the bench and not playing will not sell tickets. And if Minnesota won't go see a playoff team with Katie Smith, Teresa Edwards, and Tamika Williams that plays an incredibly high level of basketball, then the state should not have a WNBA franchise.

Back to the Sun. Mike Thibault has essentially traded the Olympic starting point guard (Shannon Johnson) and Chandi Jones (the 8th pick) for Ashja Jones, Lindsay Whalen, and Jess Brungo. If Whalen steps in and puts up 10 points and 6 assists per game, the Sun will be fine. If Whalen is a bust, this will go down as the worst trade in the history of the WNBA...and that is saying something when you consider that Linda Hargrove traded Tari Phillips to the Liberty for Carolyn Jones-Young.

My gut feeling is that Thibault will have plenty of time to talk about the deal next summer...after he picks up his unemployment check.

Thanks as always to Barry for the expert analysis.