Report: Sparks Finalizing Trade to Acquire Chennedy Carter; Dream Get Erica Wheeler

The Atlanta Dream and Los Angeles Sparks are working on a trade centered around Chennedy Carter and Erica Wheeler, according to Winsidr's Rachel Galligan and The Next's Spencer Nusbaum.

Carter and the rights to Li Yueru, a third-round pick by Atlanta in 2019, would go to the Sparks in return for Wheeler, the No. 15 pick in the 2022 draft and the Sparks' 2023 first-rounder.

Carter last played for the Dream in a 118-95 loss to the Las Vegas Aces last July. One day after the game, the team suspended her for conduct detrimental to the team.

Dan Padover took over as Atlanta's general manager this offseason. He said in October he would "reach out to each of the players on our roster, including Chennedy, and take the winter to figure out the structure of our roster."

In addition to Padover, the Dream have a new head coach in Tanisha Wright.

One presumed a new front office and coaching staff would allow Carter to have a clean slate in Atlanta. Instead, she'll have a totally fresh start in 2022 in Los Angeles.

The 23-year-old is averaging 16.1 points and 3.4 assists per game through her first two seasons. She has flashed some of the scoring prowess that made her one of the most exciting talents in college basketball during her Texas A&M run.

It's not hard to see why the Sparks would be willing to gamble on Carter's upside.

Los Angeles is creating a lot of cap space by exchanging Wheeler's $185,400 salary for the $76,297 owed to Carter for 2022. The team now has more wiggle room to sign a marquee star, with Liz Cambage the best free agent still on the board.

Surrendering their 2023 first-round pick could be a steep price to pay, though.

Next year's draft class will be loaded in the top half, with South Carolina's Aliyah Boston, Stanford's Haley Jones and potentially Kansas State's Ayoka Lee headlining the group. Lee can declare for the 2022 draft but indicated in January she plans to stay for her senior year.

Wheeler was an All-Star in 2019 and averaged 13.6 points and 4.8 assists per game for the Sparks in 2021. Considering she's eligible for free agency in 2023, that draft pick could be the real prize for Atlanta.

Should the Sparks miss the playoffs again or only muster an eighth-place finish, Atlanta will be in a great position to add a young star to its foundation.