In a cut-short free agency window, it’s the Chicago Sky who are ringing the most bells. The franchise had already brought the community to a halt after trading Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream. Now, the Sky seems to be doing it again with eight-year veteran Ariel Atkins, who they are looking to waive off further south.

According to Front Office Sports reporter and insider Annie Costabile, Sky is preparing for Atkins’ trade by acquiring No. 4 draft pick in the 2024 class, Rickea Jackson, from the Los Angeles Sparks. There hasn’t been any official confirmation from either party, but all reports suggest that the decision might be made on Saturday (April 11).

“Costabile: Sky, Sparks discussing Ariel Atkins for Rickea Jackson trade. Nothing is finalized but an announcement is expected on Saturday,” the post read.

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The Chicago Sky had acquired Atkins via trade after the latter spent 7 seasons in Washington Mystics. The Sky lost some benefits in making this trade happen, including a No. 2 draft pick, a second-round pick in 2027, and an opportunity to swap their first-round picks. The 29-year-old guard was quite impressive in her lone spell in Chicago.

Atkins averaged 13.1 points per game, secured 3.4 rebounds, and dished 3.6 assists. Courtesy of this performance, Sky had also sent a core qualifying offer to her earlier in the free agency window, immediately after trading off Reese. It means that they were willing to give Atkins the supermax salary for a one-year tenure. But now, with the latest trade news, the equation around the team changes.

It must be noted here that if Ariel Atkins walks away from the Chicago Sky’s core qualifying offer, she won’t get the same amount ($1.4M) as the Los Angeles Sparks. According to reports from Front Office Sports, the Sparks will only be eligible to sign for north of $1.1M. Coring Atkins, though, gave Sky a major advantage by retaining the exclusive negotiating rights.

Additionally, even if Atkins had requested a possible trade, the Sky would have leveraged fair compensation, courtesy of those rights. NBC Sports’ Jackie Powell also echoed the same sentiment in her latest assessment.

“First of all, I heard that the idea of trading Ariel Atkins was always about getting trade value for her,” Powell said. “The LA Sparks struggled defensively in the backcourt. And so pairing with Kelsey Plum who can defend very well in Ariel Atkins makes sense.”

And what better value than Rickea Jackson for the Chicago Sky, a 25-year-old prodigy who has the ceiling to be one of the best in the business on that frontcourt. Jackson, who will be playing her third season this year, is under contract with the Los Angeles Sparks through 2027.

But with multiple options available in the frontcourt, the franchise has given up a young player who could become their franchise player in the years to come. The move is, of course, a two-edged sword. While bringing in a veteran in place of a youngster can be touted as a genius move by some, it also comes with obvious caveats.

How Does Ariel Atkins- Rickea Jackson Fare for the Chicago Sky and the LA Sparks?

The Ariel Atkins-Rickea Jackson is a trade that squares off quite perfectly for both teams. As mentioned earlier, with Dearica Hamby and Azura Stevens possibly returning, Jackson’s time at the LA Sparks would have been short. As a result, the Sparks trading such a frontcourt player for an 8-year-old veteran guard in Atkins might be a masterstroke.

The Sparks already have the likes of veteran Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink in their roster. A natural scorer and a formidable three-point shooter, Atkins might just improve their offensive threat even more. The only thing going against Atkins is her age, as she’s approaching 30 in July. As a result, it’s not clear how many years she has left to put in her very best.

So, it might raise questions on the long-term sustainability of Atkins’ trade for the LA Sparks.

On the other hand, the Chicago Sky had a void of a formidable front-court player after the departure of Angel Reese. To fill that void, Jackson can be a perfect replacement. Of course, Jackson isn’t as formidable on the glass as Reese. But in the two seasons she has played so far, Jackson has shown glimpses of a natural scorer, averaging 14 points per game for the Sparks.

Thus, it suggests that Jackson might not be the perfect like-for-like replacement of Reese, but it can be one of the best they can do in trying to mold an upcoming franchise star. Additionally, Jackson is quite formidable as a rim protector near the paint, which the Sky will look to count on, but even then, she isn’t as good as Atkins, whose career averages 1.5 steals and 0.4 blocks.

The Sky can pair Rickea Jackson with Kamilla Cardoso in the paint, creating a strong defensive duo for the upcoming season. All in all, it would be interesting to see if the trade eventually goes through, as it’s a culmination of pros and cons within the same deal that addresses their immediate requirement for a certain type of profile.