With the benefit of hindsight, it is clear this was going to be a difficult offseason for the Portland Timbers as it was for many MLS teams. The reason is relatively simple: As a result of the CBA, the salary cap is lower than teams anticipated, making the 2015-2016 offseason largely an exercise in preserving their rosters rather than upgrade them.
While addressing draft strategy, Seattle Sounders coach Sigi Schmid touched on exactly this point:
The tighter-than-expected cap in 2016 could well lead to fewer packaged trades on Thursday.