TNT finally has a first-round pick in the 2021 PBA Rookie Draft this Sunday after acquiring the no. 4 pick from NLEX in a three-team trade that also involved Blackwater, in a deal announced by the league on Thursday morning.
The complicated deal began with the Road Warriors sending the said pick to the Bossing in exchange for guard Roi Sumang, forward Don Trollano, center Maurice Shaw and the Bossing’s 2022 second round draft pick.
After completing the deal with NLEX, Blackwater then dealt the rights to the no. 4 pick to the Tropang Giga for guard Simon Enciso, forward David Semerad, and TNT’s 2023 first-round and 2024 second-round draft picks.
This has been a major move by the flagship MVP Group franchise, which did not have a single pick in the first two rounds of the March 14 event until the trade.
Interestingly, this move comes at the heels of Ray Parks’ announcement that he will not play next season. Now TNT is in a position to acquire someone in lieu of the 27-year-old, who helped them reach the 2020 Philippine Cup Finals.
Joshua Munzon and Jamie Malonzo expected to be the first two picks of the draft that features a total of 86 talents. Projected succeeding picks include Mikey Williams and former NCAA MVP Calvin Oftana.
TNT had to give up Enciso, though, who had himself a solid run in his short stint with the team highlighted by that Finals run in the bubble. He served as back-up to main man Jayson Castro with averages of 9.6 points and 2.8 steals.
This marks yet another trade between the sister teams, with Blackwater as the conduit. The same clubs made a deal last year that saw Poy Erram shipped from the Road Warriors to the Tropang Giga.
So, TNT has acquired the vastly-improved Erram, a member of last season’s Elite Five, and the no. 4 pick — both from NLEX.
With this, the Road Warriors do not have the luxury of having back-to-back picks anymore, since it also owns the no. 3 pick — which it got from Blackwater in the Erram deal. TNT will now be part of the Gilas Draft as well.
By giving up the no, 4 pick, NLEX received the 6-foot-8 Shaw and young yet seasoned cagers in Trollano and Sumang, who were among the few bright spots in Blackwater’s dismal bubble campaign with their solid play.
The 6-foot-3 Trollano was the Elite’s top scorer with per-game norms of 14.2 points and 8.5 rebounds in 29 minutes — all of which are career-bests.
Now he gets to reunite with Yeng Guiao, his former coach in Rain or Shine who picked him at 15th overall in the 2015 Draft. The two also shared success together when the Elasto Painters ruled the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup.
On the other hand, Sumang showed flashes of his University of the East days under Coach Nash Racela. He had averages of 10.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.2 steals in 25.2 minutes a game.
His arrival could also ensure that the Road Warriors’ backcourt remains potent. Tere have been reports recently saying that star guard Kiefer Ravena is weighing options after receiving an offer to play in Japan.
Lastly, Shaw gets to add more size to a frontline that features JR Quiñahan, Raul Soyud, Michael Miranda, and Will McAloney. The no. 2 pick of 2019 had himself a tough rookie year no thanks to a slew of injuries.
