Kei Kamara trade: grading the blockbuster deal, one year later

A veteran of five MLS clubs and 11 MLS seasons, Kei Kamara has separated himself as one of the top goalscorers in league history. His 89 MLS goals rank 10th all-time, landing him in an exclusive group of finishers that includes Taylor Twellman (101, 8th all-time) and Ante Razov (114, 5th).

Kamara’s best camapign to date took place in his age-30 season, when he scored 22 goals for Columbus Crew SC in 2015. But for one reason or another, that Golden-Boot-winning campaign wasn’t enough for Kamara to stick in Columbus. The club shipped him to the Revolution on May 12, 2016 in exchange for General Allocation Money, Targeted Allocation Money, a first round SuperDraft pick and a collection of other valuable assets.

Though the price seemed steep, the Revolution felt good about adding a physically-gifted forward with a resume as impressive any player in MLS. Jay Heaps needed a tried-and-true goalscorer, and Kamara had scored goals on the east coast, west coast and everywhere in-between. The move made sense, at least on paper.

Fast forward one year and five days, and Kamara’s tenure in Foxboro hasn’t exactly gone as planned. The man who scored once every 132 minutes for Crew SC has scored just once every 255 minutes for the Revolution. In April, he told mlssoccer.com that he was “still developing a role” nearly a year into his stint with the club. Heaps jumped to Kamara’s defense, saying, “Players around [Kamara] have to create for him, also have to look for him ... Goals are going to come for Kei, it’s just a matter of how many chances he’s getting.”

The Revs boast enough attacking talent to feed Kamara on a regular basis. And Kamara boasts enough talent to finish his chances. But the Sierra Leonean forward has yet to find his form in Foxboro.

Now a year removed from the trade, we want to hear your thoughts. How would you grade the trade, from A to F? Tell us in the comments section below.