Inside the California Redwoods' Attempts to Trade Up for Joey Spallina

USA Lacrosse Magazine contributor Dan Arestia spent nearly two months prior to the 2026 Premier Lacrosse League College Draft in constant contact with the California Redwoods about their strategy for the draft, their roster, and their player evaluation, all leading up to shadowing general manager Joe Spallina and head coach Anthony Kelly for the entirety of draft day.

This is an inside look at the draft preparation, strategy, and execution of the Redwoods.

There is nothing like the excitement of the draft. Across all professional sports, fan interest and passion for draft day have skyrocketed. Mock drafts are plentiful and big boards are omnipresent — all in service of helping a fan understand who the next star player on their favorite team might be.

The Premier Lacrosse League College Draft is no different. Coaches and GMs from all eight teams travel to ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn., for a live draft that is broadcast on ESPNU. It’s a special day in the league calendar to welcome in a new class of pro players, and to further grow the league’s profile in the pro sports landscape.

PREPARING FOR THE DRAFT

Of course, the 2026 draft was special for another reason. According to many draft experts, the top player available was Syracuse attackman Joey Spallina, the son of Redwoods GM Joe Spallina. It didn’t take long for people to connect the dots and start asking, quite loudly, if the Redwoods could move up from No. 6 to get their guy.

Draft preparation for Joe Spallina and Redwoods head coach Anthony Kelly, along with his staff, is a lengthy process. The draft board for 2026 was in progress before the 2025 draft was done. Even prior to the 2026 draft, the Redwoods have already begun their 2027 draft board. It’s a constant cycle of watching game film, contacting players, getting feedback from coaches, and comparing notes.

Player evaluations and meetings were frequent and robust as the Redwoods built their board. The Redwoods held four picks in the 2026 draft — a first rounder, a second rounder and two fourth rounders. Kelly estimated he spoke to dozens of players who he thought could make sense for the Redwoods, in addition to coaches and other contacts. And that’s not just players from teams atop the media poll. The Redwoods watched tape and evaluated players from every conference in America. That’s how thorough and deep the preparation runs.

Spallina, who has a reputation as a dealmaker, had his ear to the ground and was in regular contact with other GMs to try and investigate their plans for the draft while he made his own.

The more the conversations went on in the early weeks of the college season, the more it became clear. For Spallina, and some others, the thinking was that the draft centered around two players. Joey Spallina and Duke short-stick defensive midfielder Aidan Maguire were the players everyone wanted, and while there was solid talent after that, there was a clear distance between those two and everyone else.

This being the prevailing sentiment, Spallina knew that meant the owners of those two top picks — the Utah Archers at No. 1 and the Boston Cannons at No. 2 — could demand a premium. As the college season went on and the draft date neared, Towson attackman/midfielder Mikey Weisshaar pushed his way up boards as the No. 3 player for most teams.

THE PURSUIT OF THE TOP PICK

In early March, Spallina began making contact with teams at the top of the draft to explore the possibility of trading up. First, he reached out to Utah’s Chris Bates about the top pick. Not long after, he contacted Boston’s Brian Holman about pick No. 2. Initial conversations were positive, in so much as the idea of making a deal wasn’t dismissed outright, but there was also a lot of ground to cover to make a deal happen.

Given the 2-3-player draft mindset, Spallina was approaching a deal thinking the Archers would be happy with either of the top two picks. That in mind, Spallina knew that if he could acquire the second pick in the draft, he had a great chance to spin it into the top pick to land his son. Spallina felt the Archers wanted to be in the top two but would be happy in either spot.

But that path proved difficult to navigate. Spallina knew the Archers were excited about his son and that he’d be a good fit in their offense. Joey Spallina shared with his dad that conversations with the Archers made it clear they were interested in taking him at the top spot.

Getting up to No. 2 would be just as difficult. The Cannons’ staff has some new faces. Will Manny, a legendary Cannons attackman, retired and became the team’s new offensive coordinator. He has a longstanding relationship with Joey Spallina from Manny’s days with the New York Lizards playing for Joe Spallina.

Once in his new role, Manny reached out to Spallina to discuss his potential role in the Cannons’ offense. Boston also needed help on defense, and Maguire represented a true superstar in the making that would be tough to pass on.

Even beyond the top two picks, Joey Spallina has a long relationship with Whipsnakes attackman Rob Pannell — a bond that also goes back to the Lizards — and the Whips picked third.

Given the needs, Joe Spallina knew the price tag would be steep. Always willing to make a major deal for a splash talent, he put nearly everything on the table.

There were three current players on the Redwoods roster that were a hard “no.” Everybody else, including draft capital, would at least be a conversation with Kelly as a possibility. In fact, Spallina explored other trades that might allow him to pile up assets for the larger goal of getting to the top of round one.

Of course, moving up for his son wasn’t the only thing on the mind. From Kelly’s perspective, the Redwoods were picking at No. 6 until someone told him they weren’t, and he focused on the talent that was expected to be available there. Working with the assumption that Spallina and Maguire would go in the top two spots, in some order, and that someone would definitely take Weisshaar in the top five, they set out to look at other possibilities. The question was, who would be there?

There was a long list of permutations. UAlbany attackman Silas Richmond, Johns Hopkins midfielder Matt Collison and Syracuse midfielder Michael Leo were the next three offensive players expected to go, but the order was a mystery. Spallina anticipated that Carolina was high on both Richmond and Leo, and that Dave Cottle historically liked physical midfielders — a box that Collison checked in a big way.

One of those three players would be available to the Woods at No. 6, but it was impossible to tell who. The trick of the draft is that the player they get at No. 6 impacts all the moves they make later. On top of that, Spallina and Kelly had to get ready for a potential surprise. What would they do if a player like Princeton’s Chad Palumbo or Army’s Evan Plunkett went earlier than expected? Or if someone decided to still use a top pick to stash Maryland defenseman Will Schaller while he recovers from an ACL injury?

Given all those questions, it’s easy to see that it wasn’t always consensus for the Redwoods. Potential trades, uncertainty in the top tier of talent, and multiple needs to address made it complicated. Even at pick six, Spallina and Kelly weren’t necessarily in lockstep about the player to take in the spot. It all depended on how picks 3-5 went.

The right blend of skills between being ball dominant, a quality passer, physicality and athleticism was different for Spallina and Kelly. It was possible the first five made the sixth pick easy; it was also possible there might be some debate.

Coming away with a high-end midfielder was a must. After No. 6, Kelly and Spallina both knew another long-stick midfielder would be a draft priority. Kelly targeted Ohio State’s Cullen Brown as an option for that spot.

The offensive side of the ball was the biggest area of need, though. Spallina pointed out that the Woods were at or near the bottom of the league in power play stats and assists last year. Offensive players with high-end passing ability should be top targets with the sixth pick, and even with the depth picks later on, depending on the LSM talent available.

Goalie depth was also a need. Spallina had many plates spinning. On April 8, Spallina made a deal with Cottle, a GM he knew well from his Major League Lacrosse days. He acquired Dillon Ward from the Philadelphia Waterdogs for a 2027 third-round pick, addressing the goalie position and meaning it wasn’t a place they’d have to use a pick in this draft.

Spallina had another potential Waterdogs deal going. At one point, the Redwoods had a deal in place to get Ben Randall from Philly, which would allow the Redwoods to shop some of their defenders to Utah or Boston in a deal to move up. A deal was close, but the Redwoods backed out — and ultimately Philadelphia ended up dealing Randall to Denver for a third-round pick.

Even though the Woods were willing to move so many assets to move up, a deal eluded them in the weeks prior to the draft. Spallina felt like the Archers made it clear they needed to pick one or two, and a deal with Boston didn’t seem likely. On Friday, April 10, just four days prior to draft day, trade talks stalled, and gaining any momentum prior to the draft seemed unlikely.

Kelly had always operated with the assumption that they would be picking at No. 6 and was prepared.

DRAFT DAY DEALS

Tuesday the 14th, draft day, arrived. Coaches and GMs meet with the media throughout the day. During Bates’ session, he told the press he’d be “listening until 6:59,” but his comments were consistent with what Spallina had been told all along. The Archers wanted to be picking at the top of round one, and moving them off that spot would take a significant offer.

Spallina and Kelly went from one interview to another at ESPN HQ. The phones stayed hot and efforts continued, but as the sun set on the day, it also seemed to set on the possibility of moving up.

Over the day, coaches revealed a number of deals that were made — the Randall deal, plus a deal that sent Levi Anderson from Maryland to New York for a fourth-round pick. Late-round picks might not seem like a high price, but this close to the draft, any impact on order would have ripple effects for team strategies.

Something else started happening as the draft drew closer. Those two or three players at the top didn’t seem quite as solid anymore. Spallina started to think that Richmond to Utah first overall was a real possibility. That opened a whole Pandora’s box of possibilities, including one in which his son could slide back to a spot that the Redwoods had a real chance to trade into.

For that to happen, Spallina figured that his son would have to slide to No. 4. The hypothetical scenario he was working with would be that Utah takes Richmond first and Boston would go defense at No. 2. Holman had said earlier in the day that side of the field was a priority. The Whips presumably would not let Maguire get by them at No. 3.

And then the Chaos. Spallina believed that Chaos GM Spencer Ford was focused on Weisshaar but would be open to making a deal so the Woods could trade up and get a suddenly available Joey Spallina. Once again, it was time to start spinning a package together.

The Chaos only had two picks in the draft. The Randall trade meant the Waterdogs had two third-round picks. Spallina began to explore the possibility of trading his second-round pick for the two Philly third rounders. If Spallina could make that move, the plan was to try and package those two third rounders with his own first in a package for the Chaos.

In the deal, Carolina would get one of Weisshaar, Collison or Leo (basically whoever the Waterdogs didn’t take at No. 5), along with two more picks to further bolster their roster. Spallina couldn’t pull the trigger, though, until Utah actually decided to pick Richmond — otherwise the deal was kaput.

Just 25 minutes before draft time, more deals started coming together. The Redwoods and Chaos had a plan that would swap their first-round picks, sending the Redwoods up to fourth overall. The Redwoods would send their two fourth-round picks to Carolina. As Kelly and Spallina talked about the deal, Kelly was open to it but also wanted to make sure they held enough assets in this year’s draft to address needs. Spallina went back to Carolina, offering a deal to swap their 2027 second-round pick for Carolina’s 2027 third-round pick, along with one of the Woods’ two fourth-round picks.

That separate deal with the Waterdogs was also still on the table. The Redwoods were looking at sending their second-round pick to Philadelphia in exchange for Philadelphia’s two third-round picks. It was a whirlwind of draft picks up in the air.

Discussions continued in hallways and side rooms until the stroke of 7 p.m.

SHOWTIME

At 7 p.m., the draft began and the Archers officially were on the clock.

Spallina and Ford were locked in on the picks. If Joey Spallina slid to the fourth spot, they would pull the trigger. It was a done deal if things broke right.

The Chaos and Redwoods would swap first-round picks, the Redwoods would also send a fourth-round pick and next year’s second-round pick to Carolina, and Joey Spallina would be a Redwood (with a 2027 third-round pick coming back, too).

The Archers were up first, and while the rumor was that Spallina or Richmond would be the pick, Bates threw everyone for a loop. PLL President Paul Rabil announced the pick; Maguire first overall.

Long thought to be leaning toward the defensive side of the ball, the Cannons went with Weisshaar second. Tensions rose as it looked like Joey might actually make it to the fourth pick. Spallina and Ford locked eyes ready to make the deal. Then the Whipsnakes made their choice, and it fell apart — one pick before a trade being made that would have sent Joey Spallina to the Redwoods and upended draft strategy the rest of the night.

Spallina watched on a monitor in studio as the pick was discussed, and highlights of his son not just at Syracuse, but as a child on the field while Spallina was the head coach and GM of the Lizards. Spallina looked emotional as he watched his son, now a pro player, on screen, but he was only able to watch for a few moments before it was back to the draft board.

Spallina checked with Ford to see if he still wanted to make a swap, but Ford had already struck a new deal with Denver. Carolina traded the No. 4 pick for the No. 7 pick along with a third- and fourth-round pick. After all that effort, the Redwoods ended up where they were set to pick all along at No. 6. Long a favorite of both Spallina and Kelly, the Redwoods filled a major need by taking Michael Leo. A high-end midfielder and a quality passer, Leo checked two boxes for the Woods.

After that, attention turned to the second round. The Woods still potentially had a deal in place to send their second-round pick to the Waterdogs in exchange for two thirds. Kelly still was eager to take Brown at No. 14 if he made it that far, and both Kelly and Spallina felt Brown wouldn’t make it to the in the third round if they made the deal with the Waterdogs. So, the two watched as the first half of the second round went by the see if Brown’s name would be called. If it was, they leaned toward making the deal with Philadelphia.

The Archers went Ryan Stines at the top of round two. Boston and Maryland picked next, and the Redwoods knew that defense was a need, meaning this was where they might lose Brown.  The Cannons went with Hunter Smith, while the Whipsnakes picked Billy Dwan III. That meant the Redwoods had their guy in round two and grabbed Brown at No. 16.

Through two rounds, despite their myriad trade efforts, some of which were agreed to but never executed, they had addressed their big needs — a quality passing midfielder, and a high-end defenseman. The Redwoods now waited until round four to pick again, but they were still locked in on picks. Spallina had hopes that Brown’s Marcus Wertheim might fall to them late.

The board broke in the Woods’ favor as the draft went on. At one point, the Redwoods thought they might have to trade up to get Wertheim, but he slid to them in the fourth round without the need for a deal. Kelly and Spallina were ecstatic at their luck after holding their breath for about five picks prior.

They added SSDM depth with Dante Bowen at the end of the fourth round, capping a draft in which the Woods hit all of their needs, despite the blockbuster deal having come up just short.

After the draft, coaches and GMs departed on their long travels home from Bristol to get ready for training camp to welcome their new pros. Spallina had a phone call with his son, congratulating him on being drafted and going to the Whipsnakes.

They spoke about it being a good landing spot for him, uniting him with Pannell in an offense in which he’d fit. Spallina shared some feelings of joy about it. He had spent weeks pushing to try and trade up to pick his son. In the end it didn’t come together, but that means when Joey plays in his first professional game, Spallina can watch from the stands, as a proud dad.