Sources: Canada eyes sign-and-trade from Sparks

Two-time WNBA champion Jordin Canada will most likely seek a sign-and-trade from the Los Angeles Sparks, who designated her a core player Saturday, sources told ESPN’s Andraya Carter.

Canada was part of the Seattle Storm‘s 2018 and 2020 championship squads, and is a two-time All-Defensive first-team selection. She spent the past two seasons playing in Los Angeles, her hometown team and near her college of UCLA.

Considered one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, Canada has averaged 8.8 points, 4.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game across her six-year career and was a candidate for Most Improved Player last season, where her 13.3 points and 6.0 assists per game were both career highs, as was her 33.3% clip from 3.

The market for point guards this free agency is quite narrow, so Canada was expected to be a highly coveted player. She was an unrestricted free agent before the Sparks announced Saturday they had cored her, a designation that is akin to the NFL franchise tag.

A cored player receives an offer of a fully guaranteed, one-year contract on the supermax salary (though they can negotiate a deal with different terms), and their team maintains their exclusive negotiating rights. A sign-and-trade is the only way for Canada to leave Los Angeles after being cored, and the move assures the Sparks receive assets from her departure.

Free agency negotiations officially begin Sunday, with players allowed to sign contracts beginning Feb. 1.