MANILA – Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings got a much-needed boost in their guard position by securing the services of Filipino-American three-point gunner Maverick Ahanmisi.
The 6-foot-2 Ahanmisi signed a three-year maximum contract with the Gin Kings last week and has already joined the team’s practices, as reported by Tiebreaker Times’ Matthew Li on Sunday.
Ahanmisi, the No. 3 overall pick by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters during the 2015 PBA Rookie Draft, became an unrestricted free agent after not being signed by Converge FiberXers upon the expiration of his contract on June 7.
The report added that Ahanmisi was locked in by the San Miguel Corporation as early as July but it was not yet determined as to which three of the Ramon Ang-owned squads he would be placed then.
The one-time PBA champion was surely a huge addition for the Gin Kings following the season-ending ACL injury of guard-forward Jeremiah Gray and veteran guard LA Tenorio still recovering from cancer.
During the 2022-23 PBA season, Ahanmisi played in 38 games with the FiberXers where he submitted averages of 13.72 points, 5.94 rebounds, 3.78 assists, and 1.22 steals per game.
The Filipino-American guard’s best performance came in the 2023 PBA Governors’ Cup. He posted impressive statistics of 19.92 points, 6.58 rebounds, 3.08 assists, and 1.17 steals per game.
In other league development, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters are set to part ways with one of their three big men selections during the PBA Season 48 Rookie Draft last Sunday at the Market! Market! in Taguig City.
Painters head coach Joseller “Yeng” Guiao confirmed that they are sending Henry Galinato Jr. to the TNT Tropang Giga in a trade that will involve a future first round draft pick.
Guiao revealed that the Galinato-to-Tropang Giga trade was a pre-arranged deal prior to the draft but the two teams will work on finalizing the composition of the trade in the coming days./PN
