MANILA, Philippines – The enigmatic Calvin Abueva’s stint with Magnolia comes to a close as the Hotshots send him, Jerrick Balanza, and a second-round draft pick to the NorthPort Batang Pier for forward William Navarro.
Navarro, the PBA’s fourth-leading scorer in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup at 20.6 points on 52.3% shooting, will provide much needed offense and youth to the league-leading Magnolia squad, currently the only team with a sure playoff spot off a 7-1 record as of posting.
The Hotshots last made trade headlines after trading centerpiece guard Jio Jalalon also to NorthPort for athletic wing Zavier Lucero.
With its latest move, Magnolia continues its changing of the guard from veterans to younger standouts as Navarro now pairs up with the likes of fellow young forwards Lucero and Aris Dionisio, big man James Laput, and playmakers Jerom Lastimosa and Peter Alfaro.
Navarro will be leaving a languishing NorthPort squad currently 10th out of 12 teams with a 1-6 record and on the midst of a six-game skid.
Coincidentally, Navarro and Abueva tangled with each other when the latter was called for a flagrant 1 foul against former at the 4:46 mark of the third quarter of Magnolia’s 106-97 victory over NorthPort in Candon, Ilocos Sur last Saturday, May 24.
NorthPort takes on baggage
Since winning the 2021 PBA Best Player of the Conference, Abueva had been involved in various on-court and off-court incidents.
He was fined P100,000 and a repeat ban warning for mocking the disability of former San Miguel head coach Jorge Gallent in a PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals game.
Following the insult, a jab on Gallent’s prosthetic eye, Abueva had a post-game verbal altercation with Beermen center Mo Tautuaa and his wife.
San Miguel eventually won the finals against Magnolia in six games.
In March 2024, Abueva was fined P20,000 and was suspended a game for flashing a middle finger to a fan during a Ginebra-Magnolia Manila Clasico match.
Meanwhile, Balanza returns to NorthPort after two years, going full circle with his first team after stints with Magnolia and the Converge FiberXers.
The Batang Pier now have a veteran cast chock-full of leaders like Abueva, Jalalon, and the injured Arvin Tolentino. – Rappler.com