FC Dallas sent U.S. international defender Walker Zimmerman to expansion club Los Angeles FC in exchange for the top spot in the MLS allocation ranking and $500,000 in allocation money on Sunday, during the league's half-day trade window..
Zimmerman, 24, appeared in 52 games for Dallas over the past two seasons, scoring five goals. He was Dallas' leader in minutes on the 2016 team that won the Supporters' Shield.
His play earned him a call-up to the U.S. national team in January, and he impressed while playing 90 minutes in his debut in a 1-0 friendly win against Jamaica on Feb. 3.
LAFC also received FC Dallas' No. 11 ranking in the allocation ranking. The trade will allow Dallas to have the first choice among MLS teams to sign players from the U.S. national team and top youth internationals, as well as former MLS players who are returning to the league in transfers worth more than $500,000.
In another deal, the new club acquired an international player slot for next season from Atlanta United for a fourth-round draft pick.
The moves come during a half-day trade window, in preparation for Tuesday's expansion draft. Teams are allowed to protect 11 players from their squad, in addition to homegrown and Generation Adidas players on their first contracts.
The Zimmerman trade allows LAFC to still draft the limit of five players from the remaining unprotected pool on Tuesday -- only one player from each team.
Among other moves on Sunday:
- The Portland Timbers traded 27-year-old forward Darren Mattocks to D.C. United for a 2018 international roster slot. D.C. protected Mattocks from Tuesday's expansion draft.
The Jamaica international scored four goals with two assists in 24 appearances for the Timbers in 2017 while also helping his national team reach the Gold Cup final.
- The Vancouver Whitecaps completed an expected deal for forward Kei Kamara from the New England Revolution in exchange for a 2019 first-round pick and a conditional pick in 2020.
Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Kenwyne Jones from Atlanta United, but the former Premier League veteran confirmed on Twitter hours later that he plans to retire.
Sporting also get goalkeeper Alexander Tambakis and a fourth-round selection in the 2021 draft from Atlanta United FC in exchange for midfielder Kevin Oliveira, defender Tyler Pashe and its second-round pick in next year's draft to Atlanta while getting back United's fourth-round selection in the 2021 draft.
Jones, 33, is a longtime Trinidad and Tobago international who spent most of his career in the Premier League with the like of Southampton, Sunderland and Stoke City. He started just five MLS games for Atlanta last season while coming off the bench 12 more times, scoring twice.
Tambakis was the first signing in Atlanta United history. The 21-year-old Oliveira and the 25-year-old Pasher were developmental players who spent most of last season with Swope Park Rangers, the USL affiliate of Sporting KC.
- The Houston Dynamo added veteran attacking midfielder Arturo Alvarez from the Chicago Fire in exchange for the Dynamo's second-round pick in the 2019 draft, but left him unprotected for the expansion draft.
Alvarez, an El Salvador international, has 32 goals and 30 assists in a 12-year MLS career including stops in Chicago, Real Salt Lake, Dallas and San Jose.
- New York City FC traded 32-year-old defender Frederic Brilliant to D.C. United for $75,000 in general allocation money and a 2018 international roster spot.
- Minnesota United acquired midfielder Harrison Heath -- the son of coach Adrian Heath -- from Atlanta United in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2019.