With its conference campaign on the line, Phoenix has opted to bring in one of its most reliable imports in franchise history.
Johnathan Williams will replace James Dickey as the Fuel Masters’ import moving forward, a move made official on Thursday.
“Excited. The team had some success with him previously so it was a no-brainer. But the challenge is getting him in with only one practice and without enough time for preparation and then play TNT right away,” said Tiu on bringing back Williams.
(C) PBA Images
Phoenix, currently in sixth place in the ongoing 2026 PBA Commissioner’s Cup, came off a 130-103 loss last Sunday, a game where Dickey surprisingly sat out—much to the surprise of team management.
Dickey had been averaging 19.63 points and 14.13 rebounds prior to his exit.
(C) PBA Images
Now, Williams returns for another stint with Phoenix.
He previously led the Fuel Masters to their last semifinal appearance in the 2023–24 Commissioner’s Cup, where he also won Best Import honors after norming 24.5 points, 16.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.6 blocks across 17 games.
After playing for the Fuel Masters, Williams had a long stay in Japan, playing for Toyama, Shizuoka, and Chiba before playing for Al Qadsia in Kuwait and in London. He last played for Suwon KT in the KBL.
Phoenix still has TNT on Friday, Macau on Wednesday, and San Miguel on May 9.
