Alex Morgan Trades to New NWSL Expansion Team, Joins Husband in Orlando

Alex Morgan is being traded from the Portland Thorns to Orlando's new NWSL expansion team, according to Sports Illustrated, and the deal came with a boatload of stipulations. Perhaps none was more curious than Portland saying they wouldn't have done it unless the trade was for personal reasons.

Morgan's husband, Servando Carrasco, plays midfield for Orlando FC, and that seemed to be enough for the Portland side that has benefited from 15 Morgan goals in the past three years.

"If an opportunity arose where I was in Orlando that would be a great opportunity to be with my husband and be part of an expansion team and the continued success of the NWSL," Morgan told The Equalizer after the USWNT drew level, 1-1, with Brazil on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, here's what Portland gets in return for the Morgan trade:

• First pick in the NWSL Draft
• Two international roster slots
• Houston Dash defender Meghan Klingberg
• Lindsay Horan—if plans are solidified for her NWSL arrival

It's understandable that Portland would want a fair deal in exchange for the poster child of FIFA '16, but considering that the NWSL player salaries max out at a shockingly-low $37,800—and that Alex Morgan is the No. 16 women's player in the world, not to mention an international player who scores an average of a goal per game, with a current tally of 49—it seems like the Orlando Pride just might be benefitting from the trade exponentially.

You know, Just maybe.