MLS Draft 2017: Sounders trade 16th pick

With two picks in the first round, the Seattle Sounders had the opportunity to package and move or pick up resources via trading away. They chose to do the latter with their 16th pick in the first round, trading with New York City FC. Seattle gains 75,000 dollars in general Allocation Money in the deal, and still have the 22nd pick in the round.

NYCFC took Kwama Awuah out of U Conn with the 16th pick.

General Allocation Money can be used to reduce the salary cap impact on players. Per MLS Roster Rules;

General Allocation Money can be traded by clubs. Allocation Money can be used to “buy-down” a player’s salary budget charge as part of managing a team’s roster, including buying a salary budget charge below the League maximum of $457,500. For example, a team may “buy down” a player earning $475,000 to a budget charge of $275,000 by using $200,000 of General Allocation Money.

General Allocation Money can also be applied in the following circumstances:

• To sign players new to MLS (that is, a player who did not play in MLS during the previous season).
• To re-sign an existing MLS player.
• To off-set acquisition costs (loan and transfer fees)
• In connection with the extension of a player’s contract for the second year provided the player was new to MLS in the immediately prior year.
• To reduce the Salary Budget Charge of a Designated Player to a limit of $150,000.

This likely means that the Sounders have a short list of players they want, and they expect at least one of them will be available with their final pick in the first round.