Arvin Tolentino and William Navarro will have new homes waiting for them if the overseas imports decide to go back to the PBA.
The league on Tuesday approved the trade that sends the former BPC’s signing rights from Titan Ultra to Magnolia in exchange for the special Gilas draftee’s rights in a deal that also involved a swap of future second-round draft picks.
The trade was done weeks before the Season 50 Governors’ Cup, although neither of the young stars will be seeing action in the foreseeable future.
Tolentino, for one, is still under contract with Seoul SK of the Korean Basketball League. He is coming off a solid rookie season with the club, averaging 11.0 points on 39.4-percent shooting from deep per game.
The former Far Eastern University star signed a two-year contract with the Knights back in May of 2025, with an option to come back in the third year.
Navarro, on the other hand, is covered by the PBA’s three-year ban on players who choose not to sign tender offers made by their mother teams.
The Ateneo de Manila product left the Hotshots two months after being traded by NorthPort and signed with Busan KCC Egis back in August of 2025.
However, he was released by the eventual 2026 KBL champions following a subpar season. Navarro posted norms of 5.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 21 games, and only saw limited playing time during the playoffs.
Given their situations, Tolentino has the better chance of making a PBA comeback — that is, if Magnolia, now under the tutelage of his former Ginebra ‘kuya’ in LA Tenorio, pulls off moves to lure him out of Seoul SK.
The Hotshots are in the midst of their preparations for the Governors’ Cup, with their import for the season-ending conference to be announced soon.
The same goes for league neophytes Giant Risers, who are trying to build a better team after a humiliating campaign in the ongoing Commissioner’s Cup.
