Trades have been coming hot and heavy in MLP. The trade deadline is June 30, and I am hearing from teams that a lot more trades are being discussed. Many trades are fairly minor and do not shake up the balance of power at the top of the league. But, I have come up with five trades that, if done, could shake up the league and help determine the 2026 champion.

 

 

New Jersey trades Noe Khlif to Dallas for JW Johnson. This is my favorite of the five. New Jersey does it because, while Khlif is a very good player, Johnson is better. Johnson is also a great fit, as he gets reunited with sister Jorja Johnson for mixed doubles. JW and Will Howells would be a fine fit in men’s doubles. New Jersey may well be the best team already, but this trade would make them even better. Why would Dallas do it? Dallas is going nowhere in 2026. They will make the playoffs, as about a six or seven seed, and they will then get knocked out. JW Johnson must be released after this year, but Khlif can be kept for 2027. Thus, Dallas would get a big leg up on the rest of the league, as they would begin the 2027 season with one very solid starter. New Jersey is a rich team, so some money could be added to complete the trade.

 

 

New Jersey trades Noe Khlif to Orlando for Federico Staksrud. If I am New Jersey, I talk to Dallas first. But if Dallas won’t deal JW, my next call is to Orlando. The trade to Orlando has the same motivation as the trade to Dallas. Staksrud is one of the few players who is an improvement over Khlif for this year in both doubles and singles. Look at the lineup New Jersey would have for a DreamBreaker! For Orlando, they cannot keep Staksrud past this year. With Khlif, they enter the 2027 draft ahead of most teams by having one very solid starter in Khlif. Orlando is going nowhere in 2026. They will finish around seventh or eighth in the standings and will lose in the playoffs. Look to next year, get Khlif and some cash.

 

 

LA trades Max Freeman to Orlando for Federico Staksrud and $200k. This trade is similar to the first two trades, except that Freeman is not nearly as good as Khlif. I do not see Freeman as an enticement for Dallas to trade JW Johnson, plus JW does not fit with LA as he does with New Jersey. But, Staksrud does fit with LA, as he can play right side with Ben Johns. Staksrud also improves LA in singles. For Orlando, it is all a question of how they view Freeman and the cash. If I am Orlando, I absolutely ask for the $200k max as part of this trade. Orlando then has Freeman under control in 2027, if they choose to keep him, and they have $200k to spend on other players. There will be a ton of good players available in the 2027 draft, and an extra $200k for obtaining a star would be nice to have. Orlando also gets to play Freeman all of 2026 and can evaluate if he is improving and should be kept in 2027.

 

 

Columbus trades Danni-Elle Townsend to Dallas for Tyra Black. This is a “win now” trade for Columbus. Black cannot be kept after 2026, but she would fit like a glove with Columbus. Black and Parris Todd already play together in some PPA events, and Black could play mixed with CJ Klinger, allowing Black to play left side in mixed, where she is more effective. For Dallas, again they are going nowhere in 2026 and cannot keep Black. Townsend can be kept not only in 2027, but also in 2028. She is already playing well and should improve. Dallas gets a long term starter in Townsend at a $180k keeper price. They could ask Columbus for some cash to offset that keeper price. We do not know what kind of auction prices we will see in 2027 and 2028, but if it is anything like 2026, $180k for Townsend might turn out to be a bargain.

 

 

St. Louis trades Kate Fahey and Elsie Hendershot to Dallas for Tyra Black and Brooke Buckner. For St. Louis, the trade lets them pair Tyra Black with Anna Bright. That is the one pairing that might actually challenge New Jersey’s top team. Black with Gabe Tardio is a formidable #2 mixed team. Fahey is getting better at doubles, but Black is a clear upgrade. The reason to include Hendershot and Buckner is to give St. Louis the option of playing Buckner in singles. Fahey is better, but Buckner is close, so St. Louis does not drop much at all in singles with this trade. For Dallas, Fahey can be kept in 2027. They also get a year to evaluate Hendershot to decide if they want to keep her. Hendershot is going to be a top 10 player, it is just a question of when. In addition, by trading two for two, St. Louis can add more money, if needed, for the trade; instead of a max of $200k, the max they could send to Dallas would be $400k.

 

All five of these trades have things in common. They involve a championship caliber team trading to get better in 2026, with the other team being a non-championship team trading to get better in 2027. Trades like this happen all the time in other sports, so no reason they should not happen in MLP. Teams like Dallas and Orlando have to be savvy and honest, recognizing the reality that they are not winning this year, so their focus should be on 2027. Finishing sixth instead of seventh in 2026 is meaningless; setting yourself up to compete for a title in 2027 is the smart play. For New Jersey, LA, and St. Louis, it is 2026 championship or bust. Go for it!  

 

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