The second MLP (Major League Pickleball) 2026-season trade window (March 2–June 30) is reaching its climax. The biggest move is the Brooklyn Pickleball Team's acquisition of PPA world No. 1 Chris Haworth. The Texas Ranchers also reinforced their roster one after another with three trades, bringing in Dylan Frazier, Layne Sleeth, and others. With about four weeks left until the June 30 deadline, a rush of last-minute moves by each team is expected to accelerate.
Brooklyn's trump card—solving the DreamBreaker problem by acquiring world No. 1 Haworth
On March 4, the Brooklyn Pickleball Team acquired Chris Haworth from the California Black Bears. As compensation, it sent Luca Mack and cash to California. With Haworth—fresh off winning men's singles at the recent PPA Atlanta—joining, Brooklyn greatly strengthened the DreamBreaker (a tiebreaker-style singles match), where it struggled with a 1-3 record in the 2025 season.
Note that Brooklyn also, on March 3 before the season opener, sent Christian Alshon and Luca Mack to the Texas Ranchers in a trade receiving Dylan Frazier, Matthew Barlow, and cash. It reshaped its roster significantly across two separate trades.
Season-wide trade trends—why there are so many transfers this year
The 2026 season is the first year after the 20-team merger. As the expanded number of teams broadened the options for roster building, the use of the trade window has become more active than the previous year. Following the first wave that concentrated just before the March opener, the second wave from mid-May saw Dallas acquire Brooke Buckner and Carolina add Samantha Parker—reinforcements grounded in actual match data stand out.
The Texas Ranchers in particular carried out three trades in all. They acquired Dylan Frazier (via Brooklyn), Layne Sleeth (California), and on June 2, Nico Acevedo and Aiko Yoshitomi (via Miami), and also added Genie Bouchard (via Carolina) to their lineup.
Main trade list (chronological)
| Date | Acquiring team | Acquired player | Releasing team | Released player |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/3 | Texas Ranchers | Dylan Frazier, Matthew Barlow, cash | Brooklyn | Christian Alshon, Luca Mack |
| 3/3 | Texas Ranchers | Layne Sleeth | California | Sahra Dennehy, cash |
| 3/3 | LA Mad Drops | Genie Bouchard | Florida Smash | Paula Rives, cash |
| 3/3 | Atlanta Bouncers | Jessie Irvine | Phoenix Flames | Daria Walczak, cash |
| 3/4 | Brooklyn | Chris Haworth | California | Luca Mack, cash |
| 3/14 | Columbus Sliders | Alix Truong | Miami | Alli Phillips, cash |
| 5/15 | Carolina Hogs | Samantha Parker | Dallas Flash | Angie Walker, cash |
| 5/16 | Dallas Flash | Brooke Buckner | Las Vegas | Callie Smith, cash |
| 5/28 | Columbus Sliders | Judit Castillo | Phoenix Flames | Alix Truong, cash |
| 6/1 | LA Mad Drops | Samantha Parker | Carolina | Genie Bouchard, cash |
| 6/2 | Texas Ranchers | Genie Bouchard | Carolina | Aiko Yoshitomi |
| 6/2 | Texas Ranchers | Nico Acevedo, Aiko Yoshitomi | Miami | Dylan Frazier, Ava Cavataio, cash |
Comments from team officials and reactions on social media
The Brooklyn Pickleball Team's social media account posted that the Haworth acquisition “solved the DreamBreaker problem head-on.” From fans came voices such as “Having the world No. 1 in singles play in the DreamBreaker is practically cheating” and “Is California okay letting go of two key players mid-season?”
The Texas Ranchers' aggressive reinforcements are also drawing attention. Adding attacking players one after another—Frazier, Sleeth, Acevedo, and Bouchard—the assessment that they are “the most transformed team this season” is spreading across pickleball media.
Meanwhile, the Carolina Hogs went through a turbulent window with players swapped in short order—Parker → Bouchard → Yoshitomi. Some voice concern over the roster's stability.
Impact on Japanese players—what about Yuta Funemizu's team situation
No team transfer has occurred in this window for Yuta Funemizu, the only Japanese player competing in MLP. However, there is still time until the June 30 deadline, and with the balance of power between teams shifting significantly, there remains a possibility of an impact on Funemizu's position as well.
Also, with the strong showing of Tama Shimabukuro, who reached the final at PPA Atlanta, the market value of Japanese players is on an upward trend. The possibility that multiple Japanese players will be drafted in MLP drafts from next season onward is coming into view.
Until the June 30 deadline—the points still worth watching
The trade window closes at 10 p.m. ET on June 30. There are three points to watch over the next roughly four weeks.
First, the California Black Bears' rebuilding strategy—what kind of reinforcements will the team make after releasing Haworth and Mack. Second, the assessment of Dallas' strength after Buckner joined; depending on the results against Columbus and St. Louis, they could move on additional trades. Third, trends in the waiver market. As Carolina picked up Abbigal Hatton and Connor Mogle via waivers on May 16, reinforcement through routes other than trades is also becoming more active.
Trade window overview
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Period | March 2 – June 30, 2026, 10:00 p.m. ET |
| Trades completed | 12 (as of June 3) |
| Team with the most trades | Texas Ranchers (3) |
| Biggest acquisition | Brooklyn → Chris Haworth (PPA world No. 1) |
| Waiver acquisitions | Dallas: Albie Huang / Carolina: Hatton, Mogle |
| Next event | MLP St. Louis（6/4-7） |
Summary
The second MLP 2026 trade window's biggest topics were Brooklyn's acquisition of Haworth and Texas' three straight trades. In the first season after the 20-team merger, trades accelerated from May onward as real match data accumulated, and further moves are expected heading into the June 30 deadline. The result of MLP St. Louis (June 4-7), opening this week, will shape the trade market for the remaining four weeks.
Source:
Pickleball.com – Breaking Down the Moves from Trade Window 2
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