Atiba Harris Traded to Chivas

Real Salt Lake has traded forward Atiba Harris to Chivas USA for a third-round pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft, the team announced Wednesday.
The draft pick (#37 overall) gives RSL four picks inside the top 40 in January's draft, with the 3rd, 14th and 17th picks also belonging to the club. Chivas, on the other hand, will have just one selection to make when the draft rolls around. Their only pick comes as the first of the fourth round (43rd overall), a spot they gained when back-up keeper Preston Burpo was traded to San Jose.

Harris, 22, has scored four goals in his two-year MLS career, though he was blanked in 2007, registering only a single assist in 1,259 minutes played. He became the first player from St. Kitts and Nevis to sign with a European club, when he did so in 2004 with Spanish club Cadiz. He also became the first player from the tiny island nation to play in MLS. Harris has also featured on his country's national team since 2000, scoring seven times in 22 appearances.

In February 2006, he was the focus over some off-color comments allegedly made by then-D.C. United head coach Peter Nowak. After an RSL-D.C. preseason exhibition match, Real officials claim Nowak said the player should be "sent back to Africa," a claim disputed by Nowak to this day.