TNT, NLEX, Blackwater complete three-team trade

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

 

The TNT Tropang Giga, Blackwater Elite, and the NLEX Road Warriors reached an agreement for a three-team trade.

Featured in the three-team deal are several PBA draft picks and veteran players who was first initiated by NLEX after shipping their 2021 fourth-overall pick to the Elite for guard Roi Sumang, forward Don Trollano, center Maurice Shaw and the Elite’s 2022 second-round draft pick.

Just when the trade package was finalized, the Tropang Giga then came into the picture and offered Simon Enciso, David Semerad, their 2023 first-round and 2024 second-round draft picks for the rights to the Elite’s no. 4 pick.

With a stacked 2021 PBA draft, TNT is looking to add more depth to their lineup especially that Bobby Ray Parks Jr. will not play for the team due to “family reasons.”

The recent move was the only major off-season adjustment the MVP group made since landing Chot Reyes as their head coach once again.

Looking closely into the prospects of the top five candidates of the 2021 batch, Jamie Malonzo and Joshua Munzon will most likely get the first and second spot and mock drafts put Mikey Williams and Calvin Oftana for the third and the fourth.

Will TNT pick a versatile scoring forward like Oftana? Or will they add a solid backup for Jason Castro especially that Enciso has been traded to Blackwater?