Barako Bull Energy acquired second-year forward Rodney Brondial via a trade with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, the PBA approved Monday.
In the deal, the Energy will receive Brondial in exchange for Jervy Cruz and a 2018 second round draft pick.
Brondial was the 6th overall pick by Ginebra in 2014 and played a full season with the team in the 2014-15 season. Brondial, however, hasn’t been playing huge minutes in the conference, only logging 5.8 minutes per game while averaging 1.5 PPG and 1.5 RPG.
Cruz averaged 7.3 PPG and 4.3 RPG in four games for the Energy. It will be Cruz’s fourth team in a span of four months.
The former Rain or Shine draftee was dealt by the Elasto Painters to the Globalport Batang Pier for Jewel Ponferrada during the offseason before the Batang Pier shifted Cruz to Barako Bull for Rico Maierhofer.
Brondial gives Barako a hustle-type player who can crash the boards and provide toughness inside. Cruz has shown the ability to knock down mid range jumpers occasionally and this range may help him in the triangle where he may be utilized for hand-offs coming from the elbow or high post.
RUMOR
According to some sources, Brondial will not stay in Barako Bull for so long as he is set to be traded to the San Miguel Beermen for a player yet to be determined by the management. San Miguel head coach Leo Austria was the former coach of Brondial during his collegiate years with the Adamson Soaring Falcons.
