MANILA – San Miguel formally acquired the services of veteran guard Jaymar “CJ” Perez from the TerraFirma Dyip without the expense of the Beermen’s key veteran players.
Adding just a first round pick for 2022 to its original trade package of 2021 first round pick and reserve players Angelo Alolino, Russel Escoto and Matthew Ganuelas-Rosser, the Beermen got the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Office nod to proceed with the trade.
The trade has drawn negative reactions not only from PBA fans but also from other team officials, prompting the Dyip and the Beermen to rework the trade by adding some veteran players.
Several names of Beermen veterans like Alex Cabagnot, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross and Von Pessumal floated to be included in the trade to make it presentable but none of them were transferred.
TerraFirma’s move was also questioned because Perez served as the team’s leading performer with his averages of 21.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals during the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup.
Alolino, on the other hand, averaged 2.2 points in five games played for the Beermen last year, while Escoto, a former Dyip player, averaged 1.82 points and 2.91 boards in 11 games. Ganuelas-Rosser did not play for SMB in the PBA bubble.
Meanwhile, Antiqueño forward Rey Mark Belo also found himself on the move after being dealt by the Blackwater Elite to the Meralco Bolts in exchange for veteran guard Baser Amer.
The player swap was agreed upon by the Elite and the Bolts on Tuesday afternoon with the trade papers already in PBA Commissioner’s Office for approval.
Belo, the top overall pick by the Elite in 2016 PBA Rookie Draft, is expected to bolster Meralco’s forward rotation after having career averages of 11.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game last season.
Amer, who spent the first six years of his PBA career, will be a solid addition for the Elite. The three-time PBA All-Star averaged 9.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists last season. /PN
