Youth-driven teams Meralco and Rain or Shine engaged in a trade that saw the two exchange up-and-coming guards in a straight-up swap.
The Bolts sent playmaker Trevis Jackson to the Elasto Painters for rookie gunner Franky Johnson, a deal approved by the PBA on Saturday.
This now ends the stint of the 26-year-old Jackson with the MVP Group-owned ball club, who picked him at fifth overall in the 2018 Rookie Draft.
The Sacramento State product became a key part of Meralco’s rotation after a solid rookie year that saw him average 6.1 points in the 2019 Philippine Cup.
It was also during that conference where he played his best game of his young career, scoring 19 against Blackwater in just his second-ever PBA game.
However, he missed a few games in the last all-Filipino wars, as he got placed under the league’s health and safety protocols for a while.
Jackson played for a total of 61 games with the Bolts, including a Governors’ Cup Finals trip and two historic Philippine Cup semis appearances.
Now, he gets to join the youth brigade of Rain or Shine that’s led by Rey Nambatac and his batchmate Javee Mocon.
“He is a good teammate, and we thank him for giving his time and effort to Meralco,” Meralco team manager Paolo Trillo said in a statement. “We wish Trevis the best with his new team.”
Meanwhile, Johnson bids goodbye to the Elasto Painters, who took him with the 17th overall pick in last March’s draft proceedings.
Photo by PBA Images
The 27-year-old was initially relegated to RoS’ team for the PBA 3×3 inaugurals, but was called up for the 5-on-5 squad shortly after.
However, he would only play a total of three games. Johnson got sent home from the semi-bubble as blood was detected in his urinalysis.
The former PBA D-League standout, a product of NCAA D2 school Warner Pacific, averaged 4.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals.
Now, the former Chooks-to-Go 3×3 MVP gets a chance to break out with the Bolts, where he joins a backcourt led by Chris Newsome and Nards Pinto.
