Magnolia ships Abueva, Balanza to NorthPort for William Navarro

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PBA News Magnolia Ships Abueva and Balanza to NorthPort for Navarro

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has announced another significant trade, as Magnolia Hotshots have shipped Calvin Abueva and Jerrick Balanza to NorthPort Batang Pier in exchange for William Navarro. The deal was approved by the PBA Commissioner's Office on Tuesday.

This move is expected to strengthen Magnolia's roster, which has already enjoyed a strong start to the ongoing Season 49 Philippine Cup with a 7-1 record. Interestingly, Magnolia beat NorthPort just last Saturday, 106-97 in Candon City, Ilocos Sur. The game saw Paul Lee and Aris Dionisio lead Magnolia's impressive fourth-quarter finishing kick to secure their seventh win and earn a playoff berth.

William Navarro, a versatile forward, will be reuniting with Zavier Lucero, who played just one conference with NorthPort last season before being traded to Magnolia for Jio Jalalon and Abu Tratter. Navarro impressed in his last game for NorthPort, contributing 27 points and 13 rebounds.

As for Abueva, the Beast is set to join his fourth PBA team since entering the league as the second overall pick of Alaska in the PBA 2012 draft. The mercurial forward out of San Sebastian spent his last four seasons with Magnolia, where he played a key role in helping the franchise achieve two runner-up finishes in the 2021 Philippine Cup and 2024 Commissioner's Cup.

NorthPort has struggled recently, losing their last six games since opening the Philippine Cup with a win. The Batang Pier are coming off a semifinal finish in the Commissioner's Cup, marking just the third time it reached the Final Four in its franchise history.

As we navigate this season of trades and player movements, what can we expect from these teams going forward? Will Magnolia's latest move propel them to even greater heights, or will NorthPort find a way to turn things around with Navarro on board? Only time will tell.

Edward Lance Arellano Lorilla

CEO / Co-Founder

Enjoy the little things in life. For one day, you may look back and realize they were the big things. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.