Major League Pickleball Trade Deadline Recap

Major League Pickleball's trade deadline came and passed, then it came and passed again, and then it finally ended on Monday, completely reshaping the league. Teams that were playoff contenders are now completely out of the hunt, while previously overlooked teams now have a legitimate chance of winning the championship. There were eight trades involving sixteen players, including the male GOAT of pickleball, Ben Johns. Some people are drawing comparisons across sports, saying that the Ben Johns trade was the pickleball equivalent of this year's Luka Doncic trade. Others are suggesting that the trade was collusion between league executives.

How We Got Here

The trade deadline was originally Monday, July 14th, right after the Mid-Season tournament. It was moved to Wednesday, July 16th, and finally to Monday, July 21st. During these announcements, MLP also revealed that the challenger level winner would be promoted to the premier league in 2026. Previously, most people, including challenger league GMs, thought all six challenger teams would be promoted in 2026. Instead, it’s only one team, meaning the stakes in challenger just got way higher.

The trade deadline was pushed back to allow challenger league teams to build competitive rosters for promotion to the premier league, but was that the real reason? Or was it so Ben Johns could be traded from the Hogs to the Mad Drops? The Mad Drops lost Quang Duong to contract termination on Saturday, July 12th. Theories around collusion and trade deadline manipulation are swirling, and the facts look suspicious. Tom Dundon, owner of the Hogs, acquired the PPA from Connor Pardoe before the PPA/MLP merger last year and is the largest percentage owner of the UPA. The trade deadline is extended, and then the Hogs send Ben Johns to the Mad Drops in a trade involving Connor Pardoe, CEO of PPA and MLP. Was this collusion?

Thoughts on the Situation

At first glance, this does look bad, but deeper analysis reveals a few points: First, everyone is so intertwined in this league that you could argue collusion for any trade. Second, the Hogs didn’t have any real reason to manipulate the trade deadline. Holding Ben Johns for another week wouldn't benefit them, especially since the Hogs didn’t play. While the optics of moving the trade deadline are bad, and it’s absurd it came after Columbus and Brooklyn finished their regular seasons, I don’t see why collusion would be necessary. Ben could have been traded on the 14th or 16th without any accusations. It seems plausible there were legitimate administrative issues justifying the deadline extension.

Aftermath of the Ben Johns Trade

The Hogs went into full tank mode and offloaded their entire team. They needed to pay ½ of a player’s original draft price to keep them on the roster. Ben Johns was drafted for $840,000, meaning $420,000 to keep him. Etta could have been kept for $158,000. They then sold Roscoe Bellamy to the Flash for Ivan Jakovljevic and cash and Martin and Tammy Emmrich to Miami for Ava Ignatowich, Craig Johnson, and cash, changing the lineup drastically.

The trade deadline could be renamed to the tank deadline. MLP needs to implement league minimum spending and promotion/relegation. The NBA requires teams to spend at least 90% of the salary cap or pay the shortfall. This ensures competitive rosters. Rebuilding is typical, but the Hogs and the Hustlers are simply uncompetitive. Promotion/relegation would deter tanking; teams would spend more to avoid demotion.

Other Teams and Final Thoughts

Other competitive teams made moves: The Squeeze added Milly Rane, the Black Diamonds added Etta Tuionetoa from the Ben Johns trade, and New Jersey 5s added Noe Kliff from Miami. For those who don’t know, I’m a member of New Jersey 5s. The Mad Drops are now serious championship contenders. With Noe Kliff in my spot, we’re improving our second mixed line and singles lineup.

The Black Diamonds are now legitimate contenders and already in the playoff picture with a solid team of Connor Garnett, Tyler Loong, Etta Tuionetoa, and Allyce Jones. They’re still underdogs against top teams like the Squeeze and the Ranchers but are competitive now.

The new 5s and the new Mad Drops will be in action this week in Dallas. I'll be breaking down these new rosters' performances, so make sure to subscribe to stay updated with pro pickleball!