The Colorado Mammoth has traded forwards Gavin Prout and Andrew Potter and two first-round selections in the 2010 Entry Draft to the Rochester Knighthawks in exchange for the rights to Ilija Gajic and a first-round selection in the 2012 Entry Draft.

Ilija Gajic, 24, played three seasons of college lacrosse at the University of Denver and is expected to be an immediate impact player in the National Lacrosse League.

"It is a very good deal for the Knighthawks," said Knighthawks owner and CEO Curt Styres. "We got a couple of draft picks and shored up the right side with Prout. Andrew Potter won the (junior) scoring championship last year and should do very well."

"Ilija Gajic is a tremendous talent who will put points on the board for us for years to come," said Steve Govett, the Mammoth's president and general manager.

"We were excited on draft day when we landed two of the top five prospects available with Alex Gajic and Cliff Smith," explained Govett. "Now with Ilija, we have three of the top five players available this year."

Ilija, Nenad and Alex Gajic all reside in Denver and will play a significant role in the Mammoth's community relations and fan development efforts. Ilija's first appearance in a Mammoth uniform comes this Saturday at the team's rookie camp.

The Mammoth's all time leading scorer and team captain since 2005, Prout spent the past six seasons with Colorado. The 31-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2010 season and Mammoth management had to make the hard decision of letting their leader go.

"Gavin Prout has been a cornerstone of this organization for the past six years," Govett continued. "He's been a key to our success on the field and was the captain of our 2006 championship team -- what more can I say? We simply wish him the absolute best."

Andrew Potter appeared in just one game for the Mammoth in 2009 following his arrival in Colorado via a trade for (the then-retired) Gary Gait.