TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS:Trade
The newest expansion side continued building their inaugural roster with the 2020 Expansion Draft on Tuesday.
Before the draft started, Austin FC sporting director Claudio Reyna said they were looking to bring in players with MLS experience, citing the trades they had made ahead of the draft during the half-day trade window earlier in the week, and saying they planned to be competitive “from day one.”
Reyna and head coach Josh Wolff chose a mix of proven veterans and younger players in the Expansion Draft and then made a trade with the Montreal Impact for their fifth and final pick, Kamal Miller, that gives them some flexibility in the upcoming 2021 MLS SuperDraft.
The trade made sense for both sides here: Defender Kamal Miller will fit into Thierry Henry's three-back system with the Impact, while Austin gain a First Round 2021 SuperDraft pick (11th overall) that they can use on a young player or to fill in gaps in their roster. The expansion side will also receive $225,000 in General Allocation Money and $50,000 in conditional General Allocation Money from Montreal. Miller had 28 appearances for Orlando City SC over the past two seasons.
"We are happy with the acquisition of this young Canadian international, who had a great 2020 season," said Impact sporting director Olivier Renard in a team release. "Kamal is a left-footed defender with a different style than what we already have at this position."
