By DENNIS PRINCIPE
Finally teams are seeing some value among the players of the beleaguered NLEX Road Warriors.
A day after giving up Eric Camson and Glenn Khobuntin to Mahindra for Alex Mallari, Kenneth Ighalo and the 2020 second round draft pick from Mahindra, the Road Warriors entered into a more significant deal involving two other teams.
Sources among NLEX, TNT KaTropa, Globalport and Meralco confirm that the four ballclubs have agreed to consummate a deal involving seven players that is now in the office of Commissioner Chito Narvasa for approval.
Under the said transaction, NLEX will part ways with former Gilas Cadet Garvo Lanete for JR Quinahan of Globalport.
The Batang Pier will then ship Lanete to the Meralco Bolts for Jonathan Grey and the 2017 second round pick of Mahindra.
The third phase of the deal will bring Globalport’s Anthony Semerad and the 2017 first round pick of TNT for Larry Fonacier.
In completing the four-team deal, the Batang Pier will send Fonacier and that 2017 second round pick to the Road Warriors for Sean Anthony and Bradwyn Guinto.
In summing up the frenzied movements, TNT will end up with Semerad and get back their first round pick, Meralco will acquire Lanete, NLEX will gain Quinahan, Fonacier, Mahindra’s 2017 2nd round pick, and Globaport’s 2nd
round pick while the Batang Pier will settle with Anthony, Guinto and Grey.
Meantime the deal may turn out to be a sigh of relief for Yeng Guiao who concurrently acts as coach and general manager of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC)-owned squad.
This as the seven-time PBA champion coach once expressed exasperation after no teams, including sister squads Meralco and Talk ‘N Text, showed little or no interest at all in acquiring their players through trades.
“Mahirap makipag-trade kung ang ipapalit sa iyo ay ballboys,” Guiao once said after one of their losses in the ongoing Commissioner’s Cup.