Tyson McGuffin’s Departure From Utah: A Choice Worth Questioning?
When the Utah Black Diamonds selected Tyson McGuffin with the 19th overall pick in the 2024 Premier Level Draft, it seemed like a power move. Pairing the fiery veteran with a Utah core that included Tyler Loong, Callie Smith, and Alix Truong looked promising—on paper.
But the union didn’t last a week.
Before ever donning the Utah jersey in a single match, McGuffin was traded to the Orlando Squeeze. The reported reason? An unwillingness to play alongside Loong due to a simmering history between the two—bad blood that ultimately forced Utah's hand. In return, the Diamonds received Jay Devilliers and a $50,000 payout.
Both Utah and Orlando failed to make the 2024 playoffs, leaving observers wondering: Did anyone really win that trade?
Source: Pickleball.com
Fast Forward To 2025: New Rosters, Old Tensions
This season, Utah has retooled with a refreshed lineup: Loong, Connor Garnett, Allyce Jones, and Genie Erokhina. Meanwhile, McGuffin now finds himself with the Phoenix Flames, flanked by high-profile teammates Jack Sock, Jessie Irvine, and Genie Bouchard.
Last Friday night at the Edward Jones MLP event in Phoenix, the storyline wrote itself: McGuffin faced off against the franchise that drafted—and then traded—him. For Utah, it was a chance to prove they’d moved on just fine. For McGuffin, an opportunity to validate his early exit.
In the end, Utah got the last word—at least for now—with a 3-1 victory. McGuffin dropped both of his matches, while his former team showed strong synergy and confidence on court.
Standings Tell A Broader Story
While a single match doesn’t define a season, current team performance adds weight to the narrative. Utah is averaging 1.40 standings points per match—an early sign of playoff potential. Phoenix, by contrast, is sitting at 0.82.
That gap may narrow as the season unfolds, but it’s hard to ignore the optics. Utah appears to have turned the page and found chemistry, while Phoenix is still working to click despite a star-studded lineup.
The McGuffin Question: Still Open
Of course, team dynamics are complex. Chemistry isn’t built overnight, and McGuffin remains one of the most intense and respected figures in the sport. His desire to avoid playing alongside someone he didn’t mesh with may have been about mental game preservation more than ego. But as results pile up, and Utah continues its rise, the spotlight on that 2024 trade only sharpens.
If Utah ends up in the playoffs and Phoenix doesn’t, expect the questions to grow louder: Did Tyson McGuffin make the right call walking away from the Black Diamonds? Or did Utah’s front office see the writing on the wall first?
For now, the scoreboard favors Utah.
But in Major League Pickleball, the season is long—and redemption stories are never far away.
