It wasn’t easy for coach Tim Cone to let go of Art Dela Cruz.
After all, the decorated mentor himself convinced the Barangay Ginebra brass to acquire the second-generation cager’s services, which they granted when the team traded for him in 2017.
Cone has spoken so highly of the 6-foot-4 forward owing to his high IQ and versatility. Unfortunately, his stay with the PBA’s most popular ball club has been marred by injuries, causing him to miss lots of games.
He did not see action in the last Philippine Cup.
The Gin Kings then deemed that it was time to move on from the 29-year-old. On Tuesday, the team shipped Dela Cruz to NorthPort in exchange for the vastly-improved Sidney Onwubere in a one-for-one deal.
“Art was the guy I really pursued to bring to Ginebra. Needless to say, we had great hope for him, but he’s had problems staying healthy,” Cone wrote in a message to Tiebreaker Times hours after the trade.
This now ends the four-year stay of the former All-Rookie Team member with the Barangay. There, he won both of his championships – first in the 2019 Governors’ Cup, then in the Philippine Cup the following season.
Still, Cone sees Dela Cruz flourishing now that he’s healthy.
“He is healthy now and if he can stay healthy, he’s a premier player in the league,” said the 23-time champion coach.
“He’s an intelligent, skilled player who brings great chemistry to the team. His teammates will miss him.”
Now, Cone is looking forward to unlocking the potential of Onwubere, who’s coming off a short yet solid stint with the Batang Pier. That saw him emerge as a key part of head coach Pido Jarencio’s rotation in the last conference.
The former Emilio Aguinaldo College standout started in 12 of NorthPort’s 13 games. He posted per-game averages of 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in nearly 28 minutes of playing time.
“In Sydney, we saw a player who’s shown flashes of solid potential,” said Cone.
“We’re hoping we can bring more out of his game at Ginebra.”
