MLP’s First Trade of 2025: Major League Pickleball (MLP) continues to see roster changes as teams prepare for the 2025 season. The California Black Bears and Brooklyn Aces have completed the first Challenger-level trade of the season, exchanging players ahead of the early March draft.
Trade Details
- California Black Bears receive: Layne Sleeth
- Brooklyn Aces receive: Amanda Hendry and cash considerations
With the first trade window closing on February 15, teams must finalize their roster decisions soon. Every team is required to drop at least one player by February 16 at 6 p.m. CT.
How This Trade Impacts California Black Bears
Before the trade, California faced a tough decision, as Chris Haworth and Amanda Hendry lacked UPA contracts. They would have needed to release both players. However, acquiring Sleeth allows them to drop only Haworth, keeping a core of:
- Brandon French
- Lina Padegimaite
- Layne Sleeth
Padegimaite and Sleeth previously played together for Brooklyn in 2024, posting a 7-15 record. Though their MLP results were underwhelming, they later found success at Worlds in November, defeating strong opponents before falling in the quarterfinals to Anna Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher.
With MLP shifting to a side-out scoring format in 2025, California hopes this duo will be more effective moving forward.
On the men’s side, French’s best 2024 result came at the North Carolina Cup, where he reached the quarterfinals alongside Ivan Jakovljevic. Jakovljevic also has experience playing with Sleeth, making him a possible draft target for California.
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How This Trade Affects Brooklyn Aces
Brooklyn faced a different challenge, as all their 2024 players were under UPA contracts. This trade made their decision easier by automatically removing Hendry from their roster. Their current lineup consists of:
- Daniel de la Rosa
- Andrea Koop
- Pablo Tellez
Koop had a mixed record with Brooklyn in 2024, going 3-0 in mixed doubles with De la Rosa but struggling in her only match with Tellez. Despite this, she and Tellez are likely to partner in 2025.
Brooklyn may also target Tamaryn (Tammy) Emmrich in the upcoming draft. Emmrich is expected to be dropped by the Nashville Pandas, and she has previously teamed up with De la Rosa in PPA Tour events.
What’s Next?
Both teams must finalize their roster moves before the Challenger-level free agency draft on March 3. With player retention rules in place, additional trades and roster adjustments could be on the horizon.
News in Brief: MLP’s First Trade of 2025
California Black Bears and Brooklyn Aces completed a key MLP trade ahead of the 2025 season. California acquires Layne Sleeth, while Brooklyn receives Amanda Hendry and cash. The move allows both teams to manage roster changes before the February 16 player drop deadline and prepare for the upcoming draft on March 3.
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