The musical chairs have once again come out in the Philippine Basketball Association. In the last fortnight, player movements have been aplenty in the local pro league with all parties involved angling to get the best possible talent to help them in their respective causes next season.
First to pull a trade were the Fiesta Conference champions San Miguel Beermen who acquired the do-it-all forward Arwind Santos from the Burger King Whoppers. In exchange, the Whoppers got forwards Marc Pingris and Ken Bono and the Beermen’s first-round rookie pick next year. The inclusion of Pingris somehow came as a surprise since he played a big part in San Miguel’s recent championship run and that in the run-up to the trade big man Samigue Eman was the one being dangled with Bono and veteran Chris Calaguio. Interestingly enough, Burger King released Pingris no sooner to the Purefoods TJ Giants for the latter’s first and second-round draft picks in 2010.
Hoping to build on their major strides the past season, the Rain or Shine Elastopainters went out and got themselves a couple of pistoleros in Jeff Chan and Mike Hrabak from the Barako Bull Energy Boosters. In return, ROS gave up veteran Rob Wainwright and center Mark Andaya. Chan and Hrabak are going to be counted on to spread out the floor for their new team with their outside gunslinging to open up things for ROS’ big men and slashers.
Getting help for their frontline are the Sta. Lucia Realtors who got the much-improved forward Gabby Espinas from Barako Bull for this year's seventh pick. If Espinas continues with his improving play, he will be a boon to the Realtors with Marlou Aquino and Espino advancing in age and Kelly Williams coming off a bout with a serious blood disorder.
After making national player Japeth Aguilar the no. 1 pick in this year’s draft and getting Bono in the San Miguel trade, Burger King got further help via the explosive Ronjay Buenafe from the Coca-Cola Tigers for the rights over no. 3 pick Chris Ross, guard Marvin Cruz and its 13th pick in the recent draft. Buenafe is expected to somehow fill the offensive vacuum left by Santos along with staple Gary David. BK also acquired the rights to no. 18 pick Orlando Daroya from the Barangay Ginebra Kings.
Coca-Cola, for its part, got itself busy as well as aside from Ross and Cruz, it took guard Jojo Duncil and forward Larry Rodriguez from Barako Bull and rookie Francis Allera for the 13th pick from Burger King. Talk is also rife that sniper Ren-Ren Ritualo of the Talk ’N Text Tropang Texters is set to join the squad for veteran Nic Belasco.
Another far-reaching trade coming on the heels of the recent rookie draft was that involving sister teams Purefoods and Ginebra with Burger King serving as conduit. The Giants released Enrico Villanueva, Rich Alvarez, Celino Cruz and Paolo Bugia to the Kings in exchange for the rights to no. 8 pick Chris Timberlake, guard Paul Artadi and Rafi Reavis. Villanueva and Alvarez are set to shore up the battered Ginebra frontline while Artadi is to revisit his old job with the Giants as playmaker and on-court partner to James Yap. Second-year player Cholo Villanueva also joins Ginebra from Burger King.
-Malaya
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