The 2026 MLP Draft will commence at 10am ET on Friday, February 27th, featuring a dynamic selection process where teams aim to secure top talent through bidding on draft slots. Following the draft, a reaction show with Dave Fleming and others will air on pickleballtv on Sunday, March 1st, at noon ET, providing analysis and insights into the event.
This draft is an essential event in the professional pickleball calendar, as teams work to fill their rosters with high-caliber players ahead of the upcoming season, making the 2026 MLP Draft preview crucial for fans and participants alike.
Understanding the Draft Format and Rules
Each team must ensure that four roster spots are filled before bidding is allowed for any fifth or sixth player positions. The first round includes 28 total draft slots, divided between 16 women and 12 men, representing the initial phase where teams reach the minimum of four players.
The second round follows with 38 additional picks to allow teams to expand to six players on their rosters. The minimum bidding threshold is $10,000 in the first round and decreases to $1,000 per slot in the second round.
Uniquely, the draft employs a transparent bidding system where teams compete for specific draft slots rather than individual players. Once a team wins a slot, they select their preferred player for that position. All funds raised through these bids return to the league, the United States Pickleball Association (UPA), which pays player salaries. Therefore, the draft contributes financially to the league’s operations rather than direct team payrolls.
Team Roster Needs as the Draft Approaches
With 16 women’s and 12 men’s slots available in the first round, teams are focused on filling their gaps to meet the four-player minimum. The following outlines the roster requirements for each team to reach that baseline:
- Atlanta Bouncers: One woman needed
- Bay Area Breakers: One woman and one man needed
- Brooklyn Pickleball Team: One man needed
- California Black Bears: One woman and two men needed
- Carolina Hogs: Fully rostered with four players
- Chicago Slice: Two women needed
- Columbus Sliders: One woman needed
- Dallas Flash: One woman needed
- Florida Smash: One woman needed
- LA Mad Drops: Fully rostered with four players
- Las Vegas Night Owls: Fully rostered with four players plus a fifth
- Miami Pickleball Club: One woman and one man needed
- New Jersey 5s: One woman needed
- Orlando Squeeze: One man needed
- Palm Beach Royals: One man needed
- Phoenix Flames: One woman and two men needed
- SoCal Hard 8s: Two women and two men needed
- St. Louis Shock: One woman needed
- Texas Ranchers: Two women needed
- Utah Black Diamonds: One man needed
This breakdown highlights which teams will be most active in bidding to secure critical players for their lineups during the draft.
Anticipated Player Selections and Expert Analysis
As this event marks the first year for the California Black Bears’ General Manager, the typical draft big board is not being publicly released. Instead, the draft preview relies on rankings provided by DUPR, which lists the top 20 men and women projected to be available in the draft pool.
Fans and analysts awaiting full coverage of the draft results can look forward to The Dink’s email newsletter on Friday, which will detail the players chosen by each team and the bidding amounts secured for each draft slot.
The draft’s transparent structure, along with the expert commentary during the reaction show hosted by Dave Fleming and others, ensures a comprehensive follow-up to the day’s selections, allowing audiences to understand the strategies employed by each team during this critical recruitment phase.
