Atlanta United was active if not necessarily impactful in the MLS half-day trade window on Sunday.
The traded traded away the rights to striker Kenwyne Jones and goalkeeper Alex Tambakis, the team’s first-ever announced signing, as well as Harrison Heath. Their options were declined by the team after the season.
Jones, who indicated on social media weeks ago that he may be retiring and implied that again on twitter on Sunday, and Tambakis were sent to Sporting KC in exchange for the rights to defender/midfielder Tyler Pasher and midfielder Kevin Oliveira, whose options were declined after the season. Jones, 33, scored two goals in 17 appearances. His season was interrupted by a knee injury sustained while on duty with the Trinidad and Tobago national team.
Pasher and Oliveira spent the majority of their time with Sporting KC’s USL affiliation, Swope Park.
Oliveira, who came to Sporting KC from Benfica B in Portugal, made 28 appearances with the Rangers, scoring six goals with nine assists.
The teams also exchanged picks in the SuperDraft with Atlanta United receiving a second-round selection in 2018 and sending a fourth-round pick to Sporting KC in 2021.
Heath, who played one minute in the league last season, was sent to Minnesota United, which his father Adrian coaches, for a fourth-round pick in the 2019 SuperDraft.
Additionally, the team traded an international spot to LAFC in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2018 SuperDraft.
After the trades, Atlanta United has eight international spots for the 2018 season. All those spots are occupied, but two are taken by on-loan players Yamil Asad and Anton Walkes, whose statuses haven’t been clarified by the team.
The team announced this week the signing of Franco Escobar, who will take up another international spot.
The team will have five picks in the 2018 SuperDraft: one in the first round, two in the second and one in the fourth.
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