Sporting KC to Trade for Brad Davis?

Sporting KC's season ended a week ago, and eyes have already stopped looking back and are looking forward to next season. And with the eyes toward next season, the rumors have already started. Reports out of Houston today are that the Dynamo are looking to get rid of their captain, Brad Davis this winter via a trade. The Houston Chronicle is reporting that KC is the rumored location that Davis will land in. Davis played in 30 of Houston's 34 league games this year, scoring four goals and adding 10 assists as the Dynamo finished in eighth place in the Western Conference, nine points outside a playoff spot.

The St. Louis native, Davis isn't exactly loved in KC from his time with the Dynamo. From KC's first four years since the rebranding as Sporting KC, Davis was the face of a Houston Dynamo team that met KC in the playoffs three straight years, twice knocking KC out. I've seen the word hate thrown around quite a bit this morning in regards to Davis and this rumor. It'll probably take some convincing for KC fans to really come around to the idea of Davis in Sporting blue.

Beside his lack of popularity in KC, there are other questions about this potential move for KC. First, Davis turns 34 years in three days; questions have to be asked about his ability to make it through many more seasons, especially with KC's "Sporting fit" philosophy. The second big issue is that Davis had a base salary of $400,000 last season. On KC, that'd tie him with Dom Dwyer for the third highest paid player on the team. Going after him would seem to imply that either someone else in an attacking position (Dwyer, Benny Feilhaber, Krisztian Nemeth, or Graham Zusi) who is highly paid is moving or he'd come in as a depth signing. And if the latter is true it needs to happen with a significant pay cut. Finally the question for this move is what of KC's issues from this past season does it really help? Davis can still play in set pieces with the best of them, but with Feilhaber and Zusi to take free kicks, a move for Davis in that regard seems redundant. Also there would seem to be bigger holes that KC needs to fill than a midfielder/winger that is getting a little long in the tooth.

It'll be an interesting offseason as this is likely just the start of the rumors around this team.