San Miguel has tapped the services of Troy Baxter, Jr. as its reinforcement for its title defense bid in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup.
Benalloul Sports, his agency, announced as much via Instagram on Wednesday.
Listed at 6-foot-9, the Florida-native is coming in armed with experience playing in the G League, as well as from various overseas stints in the Dominican Republic, Lebanon, New Zealand, Uruguay, Canada, and Malaysia.
Playing professionally since 2021, Baxter most recently suited up for the Johor Southern Tigers in Malaysia’s Major Basketball League.
He’s set to provide added size to a frontline bannered by eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, a formula which SMB hopes would work again the way it did during the previous edition of the import-laden conference.
There, the team replaced Ivan Aska with Bennie Boatwright, and they would go on a tear from late in the elimination round to the playoffs before finishing off Tyler Bey and Magnolia in six games to clinch the championship.
Boatwright was set to return for another tour of duty with the franchise — and to potentially expedite his naturalization process for Gilas Pilipinas — until an Achilles injury threw a monkey wrench on those plans.
Baxter is expected to make his debut when the Beermen open their back-to-back bid against Phoenix on December 3 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
He’d be focusing solely on San Miguel’s PBA campaign as the team goes with Quincy Miller and EJ Anosike, according to team manager Gee Abanilla.
