The PBA on Monday has finally given the green light to the blockbuster trade between TNT and Converge through an announcement via social media.
After a five-day review, the league approved the deal that would see Mikey Williams and Jordan Heading swap places in a 1-for-1 exchange.
Unlike the NorthPort-Magnolia trade in which William Navarro was shipped for Calvin Abueva and Jerrick Balanza, the Tropang 5G and the FiberXers found themselves waiting for days before getting the thumbs up.
Frustration had mounted over at the side of the Grand Slam seekers, Tiebreaker Times learned, with how long it took the league to approve the trade, whose papers were sent to the PBA office in Libis last Wednesday.
But the start of the new week ahead marked the end of a quite lengthy anticipation, with TNT finally acquiring the lefty combo guard officially — and ending the long-standing drama with one of their former stars.
Williams has been out of the league since he and the flagship MVP Group franchise failed to agree to terms for a new contract back in 2023.
He last played in the PBA Game 6 of the 2023 Governors’ Cup in which he led the team to the crown past Ginebra, eventually earning Finals MVP honors.
Now, it remains to be seen if the 33-year-old will be back in town soon to join Converge and end what has been a protracted absence in the league.
While this burden gets passed onto the FiberXers, the Tropang 5G will only have to wait for Heading to fully recover from a back injury.
The former Gilas Pilipinas stalwart had said previously that he is fast-tracking his rehabilitation in an attempt to get cleared to return sooner.
Heading is expected to suit up for the traditional contenders in the Season 49 Philippine Cup playoffs, most likely together with Rey Nambatac, who’s still recovering from a groin injury he suffered early in the conference.
