Major League Pickleball (MLP) side Utah Black Diamonds left everyone stunned when they traded Tyson McGuffin to Orlando Squeeze less than a week after selecting him last year.
The Diamonds brought in Jay Devilliers and $50,000 in exchange for McGuffin.The decision of the Utah Black Diamonds expectedly raised eyebrows, with many questioning why they selected McGuffin in the first place. Later, it came to the fore that the Diamonds were forced to trade him since McGuffin refused to play alongside Tyler Loong because of a history of ‘bad blood’ between the two.The 2024 season did not go well for either of the franchises, as they missed the playoffs. Fast forward to 2025, the Diamonds rechristened their team by retaining Loong, while drafting Allyce Jones and Genie Erokhina into the squad.McGuffin, on the other hand, found a new home as he signed for Phoenix Flames alongside Jack Sock, Jessie Irvine, and Genie Bouchard. So, when the Phoenix met Utah on Friday night, it had more at stake than just standings points.For Utah, it was a chance to get revenge on McGuffin, who left them without even playing a single match. And for McGuffin, it was a chance to demonstrate that his decision to leave Utah was the right choice.In the end, Utah had the last laugh as they landed a 3-1 victory over Phoenix on Friday in MLP 2025. McGuffin lost both of his matches. And the current standings of the MLP suggest that the momentum is in Utah’s favour. They are currently averaging 1.40 points per match so far, compared to just 0.82 for the Phoenix Flames.While there is a lot to unfold in MLP 2025, McGuffin’s decision to leave the Black Diamonds in 2024 continues to be a raging topic of discussion. And it will persist if Utah make it to the playoffs this season and Phoenix do not.