Proposed deal would unite Caitlin Clark with Lynx veteran Kayla McBride

Bleacher Report's Hunter Cruse pitches Indiana sending Lexie Hull and two first-round picks to Minnesota for Kayla McBride, a move salary math could complicate.

Caitlin Clark could wind up playing alongside one of the WNBA's most reliable outside shooters if a concept floated by Bleacher Report's Hunter Cruse gains traction. Cruse has pitched the Indiana Fever on a pursuit of Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride.

The Fever head into the offseason under pressure to improve after the Las Vegas Aces ended their playoff runs in consecutive years, a stretch that has raised the bar for 2027. Cap flexibility is tight, particularly if All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell returns on a maximum contract, limiting what Indiana can do both in free agency and on the trade market.

Even so, the front office is expected to stay active in trade talks as it chases a WNBA Finals berth. Under Cruse's framework, Indiana would send Lexie Hull and a pair of first-round draft picks to Minnesota for McBride, whose contract expires after the 2027 season. Her standing with the Lynx grew murkier once the New York Liberty swept them out of the first round of the playoffs.

Cruse's case centers on fit. In his view, no player in the league shoots better on the move, and her work as a screener is elite, qualities he believes would complement Clark and Aliyah Boston. He also credits her defensive awareness on and off the ball, arguing she would instantly give Indiana its best option for guarding the perimeter and strengthen a group that finished at the bottom of the playoff field on defense.

McBride, for her part, brushed aside retirement talk once Minnesota's season ended. Asked about her plans, the 34-year-old said she lives in the area now, still has a great deal left to give on the court and has no intention of leaving.

Money is the chief obstacle. McBride is scheduled to earn $1.25 million in 2027, and Clark is eligible for a maximum extension under the Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract provision that she is likely to accept, positioning her for roughly $1.4 million next season. Unless Mitchell departs, Indiana cannot carry both salaries.

Minnesota, meanwhile, has reason to stand pat. Cruse observes that McBride fits naturally in the Lynx offense alongside rising star Olivia Miles, so the organization could keep her, let the 2027 campaign play out and resolve her situation at a later date.

Whatever the structure, the price would sting for Indiana. Hull ranks among the club's stronger defenders even though her scoring arrives in bursts — she went without a shot attempt in the Game 3 defeat to the Aces — and the broader scenario could also cost the Fever Mitchell in free agency plus a top-10 selection in a draft class that appears strong.

The on-court gain, however, would be considerable. McBride, a five-time All-Star, produced a career-high 17.6 points per game in 2026, and Cruse maintains that a workable route to a deal exists so long as every side is committed to reaching one.