Sporting KC Trade for Defender Justin Reynolds

Our long national nightmare is over! Sporting Kansas City have made a roster move ahead of the 2026 Major League Soccer Season.

On Tuesday, Sporting KC announced they had traded for Justin Reynolds from the Chicago Fire. They acquired him for a 2028 third round SuperDraft pick and up to $100,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) based on performance. Chicago also retained a sell-on percentage if Sporting KC were to transfer Reynolds.

While Reynolds was on the Fire’s first team roster, the vast majority of the 21-year-old right backs professional appearances are in MLS Next Pro. He has 62 appearances for the Chicago Fire II and another 14 for the first team. He also spent time with Swiss club FC Lugano on loan in 2024 making a single appearance. He also has spent time with the USA U-15s and U19s.

With the addition of Justin Reynolds, Sporting KC’s roster climbs to 17 players under contract. He is signed through the 2026 season.

Sporting KC Roster Fit

Reynolds is only the 3rd defender listed on Sporting KC’s roster and the first fullback. However, two of the midfielders, Jake Davis and Zorhan Bassong, have both played minutes at outside back. That said, based on the lack of currently signed players, Reynolds has a pretty clear path to playing time at right back.

In the behind the scenes look from the Chicago Fire (bottom of page), you can definitely see Reynolds playing left back as well.

There are obviously plenty of additions still to come, not to mention a coach. Sporting KC are set to report for preseason January 10th, in just 11 days. While they only have 17 players, and surely more to come, plenty of SKC II and SKC Academy players are likely to join for preseason. Plus, we’d imagine more players on trial than usual.

More on Rumored Sporting KC Coaching Candidate Raphael Wicky

Stick with the KC Soccer Journal for all your Sporting KC needs as the offseason comes to an end, and 2026 preseason kicks off. There are six preseason games where we should learn a lot more about this team over the next couple months.