After making a triumphant return to the Philippine Basketball Association recently following more than a year of suspension, Calvin Abueva is looking to play a full season ahead, this time with new team Magnolia.
The Beast will be bringing his intense, high-octane brand of game to the Hotshots after his old team Phoenix Super LPG and Magnolia agreed in a trade, which also involved talented guard Chris Banchero, plus draft picks.
Rene Pardo, Magnolia’s representative to the PBA board, and Paolo Bugia, team manager of Phoenix Super LPG, confirmed the news to the Manila Standard.
“We saw an opportunity to get better. As you all know, hindi naman maganda ipinakita namin sa bubble tournament, so once we saw the opportunity to get Calvin Abueva, we immediately grabbed it,” said Pardo in a telephone interview. “It’s a win-win situation for both camps.”
Bugia couldn’t agree more with Pardo as the entry of Banchero will help shore up the shaky backcourt of the Fuelmasters.
In the recent bubble tournament, Abueva led the Fuelmasters both in assists and rebounds. The pride of Angeles City averaged 13.67 points, 10.67 rebounds and 6.67 assists per game.
“There were two things why we agreed to trade Calvin for Banchero. First, we have a chance of getting a steady point guard to set the tone for the team. Second, we saw this year’s Rookie Draft as deep in talent and we have a chance to move up from 10th to sixth. That makes a lot of difference as you can definitely select a talented rookie at No. 6, which can fill the void left by Calvin,” added Bugia.
Prior to the trade, Phoenix, which went one win shy of reaching the championship round of the recent bubble tournament, was supposed to select at No. 10, but part of the Abueva-Banchero exchange was the shifting of draft picks between the two teams. Magnolia was set to select No. 6 before the traded happened.
This put the Fuelmasters in a better position to build for their future.
Phoenix Super LPG was also able to get an extra second-round pick in the latest deal with the Hotshots, which means the Fuelmasters will be selecting two players in the second round of the draft class that is expected to be the deepest since the 1989 edition.
With Banchero coming in, Phoenix is expected to have him playing the starting point guard spot, where he will join franchise player Matthew Wright, forward Jason Perkins, center Justin Chua and its no. 6 pick, who is expected to be another forward to replace the spot vacated by Abueva.
For Magnolia, bringing in Abueva will reunite him with his college teammate Ian Sangalang. Both players were key figures in San Sebastian’s last championship run in the NCAA in 2010.
The entry of Abueva proves to be beneficial for the Hotshots, who missed the services of Marc Pingris last time around.
A many-time All-Defensive Team member and a nine-time PBA champion, including a grand slam in 2014, Pingris has been riddled with numerous injuries the past few years and his current condition cast doubts on his possible return this coming season.
Abueva, an undersized forward who plays with so much passion and energy like Pingris, is an insurance for the Hotshots.