Trade deal: Licorice to TSM, Akaadian to Cloud9

TSM and Cloud9 are currently in negotiations about making a trade deal for the players Matthew „Akaadian“ Higginbooter and Eric „Licorice“ Ritchie. This move would see the toplaner from Cloud9 and the jungler from TSM swap teams for the 2020 League of Legends season.

Both teams have declined to comment on the matter.

TSM currently has three junglers in Mingyi „Spica“ Lu, Jonathan „Grig“ Armao and Matthew „Akaadian“ Higginbottom, so the trade deal would make a lot of sense for them. Cloud9 has been unhappy with their recent performance and are looking to make changes. Their MVP-jungler Dennis „Svenskeren“ Johnson is most likely leaving the team so they will be in need of a new jungler.

Since his NALCS debut in 2018, Licorice has been one of the best performing players on Cloud9. He exceeded everyones expectations and was the runner up to the prize of „Esports PC Rookie of the Year at the Esports Awards in 2018 – losing to Fnatics toplaner Gabriël „Bwipo“ Rau.

Matthew „Akaadian“ Hitchboot is expected to leave TSM after a nightmare-split for the player. After having a good performance in the Spring Split, where he played for the injured Grig, he had to share time again in the Summer split and compete for the starting spot as TSM’s jungler. Just as they finally announced that he would be the number one jungler for the team, he was benched again – for the rookie Spica.

TSM just comes off of a very disapointing season, missing the League of Legends World Championship for the second time in a row, and also for only the second time in the organizations history.

Cloud9 has had a slightly better 2019 season, making it to the Worlds stage as North Americas second seed, but failing to make it past groups. The team around veteran and fan-favourite Zach „Sneaky“ Scuderi is looking to make changes to the roster to finally get their second LCS (former NALCS) victory.