Hammon downplays Aces trade deadline chatter

Becky Hammon would welcome another star in Las Vegas. However, she is not treating trade deadline chatter as fact.

Asked Thursday about a report suggesting Napheesa Collier could be moved, Hammon joked that she wished Collier would join the Aces. Then she quickly shifted to the reality of the market.

“Until it’s in ink, some of these things are just talk,” Hammon said before Las Vegas hosted New York.

Hammon acknowledged that the WNBA’s hard salary cap makes major trades difficult to complete. Any deal would require the contracts and roster math to line up almost perfectly.

Hard-cap squeeze

“It’s very different on the NBA side, which allows for a lot more movement because there’s just more leniency,” Hammon said. “There are more ways to get creative on that side.”

Las Vegas has already added guard Mai Yamamoto for the rest of the season. Still, the Aces have dealt with several availability issues since that signing.

Janiah Barker is out for the season. Kierstan Bell and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus have also remained unavailable, while NaLyssa Smith missed Tuesday’s win over Portland.

That does not mean the Aces will force a move.