SAN Miguel Beer was quiet on Draft Day but made noise the day after by tinkering with its roster through trades that involved Terrence Romeo, Paul Zamar and veteran Ronald Tubid.
NLEX Head Coach Yeng Guiao, meanwhile, stole some of the limelight on Draft Day by bagging University of the Philippines’s Paul Desiderio—“Amin na ‘to,” he said—only to ship the former Fighting Maroon and ex-De La Salle big man Abu Tratter whom he picked at No. 7 to Blackwater.
These players movement marked the morning after Sunday’s Philippine Basketball Association exercise that saw Columbian Dyip picking CJ Perez at No. 1, Blackwater taking Ray Parks Jr. at No. 2 and NorthPort tabbing Robert Bolick at No. 3.
The Beermen, winners of 25 titles, took in guards to their already stacked lineup—acquiring the controversial Romeo from TNT, Zamar from Blackwater and got Tubid back from Columbian Dyip.
San Miguel Beer only picked Ryan Monteclaro at No. 31 on Sunday at the Robinsons Place Manila but let go of David Semerad, Brian Heruela and a 2020 first round pick.
The 26-year-old spitfire guard Romeo was labeled “AWOL” by TNT although the KaTropa’s head coach, Bong Ravena, stressed the former Far Eastern University star was on sick bay.
Ravena also neither confirmed nor denied TNT management has officially released Romeo.
“I don’t want to confirm nor deny it,” Ravena noted. “But if happens, it will be a win-win situation for both camps.”
Beermen Head Coach Leo Austria was mum about the Romeo deal although he hinted that the trade is “something special.”
“Any team needs a talent like Romeo. Everybody is welcome and along the way, we’ll see if he indeed will be going to us. We’ll see,” Austria said.
San Miguel was on a shopping spree and took Zamar—son of one of Austria’s assistants Boycie and a former University of the East star—from Blackwater in exchange for second-round picks in 2021 and 2022.
Tubid, on the other hand, would be reunited with the Beermen in a separate transaction with Columbian Dyip for Keith Agovida.
Tubid, along with JayR Reyes and RaShawn McCarthy, were shipped to Columbian Dyip in a controversial trade that involved top pick Christian Standhardinger only minutes after last year’s draft.
Guiao had his sights on big man Poy Erram and let go of his draft acquisitions Desiderio and Tratter.
In an statement released on Sunday, the Road Warriors management explained that both teams have been talking even before the draft for the 6-foot-8 Erram to transfer to NLEX to beef up its center position.
“As far back as the Asian Games, the Blackwater Elite have been discussing a trade with us involving Poy Erram, a much-needed big man who impressed Coach Yeng during his stint with the national team,” the statement said.
“Going into the draft, our goal was to select the best talent possible. At the same time, both teams reached an understanding this morning that a trade involving Poy for our first-round draft picks would be a mutually beneficial move for the teams and the players themselves,” it added.
The Road Warriors earlier traded Alex Mallari and Dave Marcelo for the fourth pick of the Phoenix Fuel Masters in order for them to get Erram.
Guiao said during Sunday’s dinner with the rookies that if the league does not approve of the proposal, they will remain grateful with Desiderio and Tratter.
“If the trade does not happen, we would have two great players to join us,” Guiao said. “And if it does push through, then we will battle each other. But either way, we are happy for you because you are assured of having a team in the PBA.”
The trades that were announced on Monday all needed the PBA Commissioner’s approval.