MANILA, Philippines – Three PBA teams quietly consummated a five-player trade on Monday.
Barako Bull and Talk n Text first swapped hardworking forward Sean Anthony and injured gunner Jared Dillinger. The Eneregy Colas immediately shipped Dillinger along with veteran center Don Allado, who is celebrating his 33rd birthday today, to Meralco Bolts in exchange for gunslinger Ronjay Buenafe and seldom-used big man Gilbert Bulawan.
The five-player swap came under the radar especially for the Bolts as social media was abuzz of the Asi Taulava sweepstakes with the resurgence of the veteran 40-year old center in the Asean Basketball League.
PBA Commissioner Chito Salud said on Monday that he has yet to receive any trade proposal involving the rights on Taulava.
Nonetheless, the multi-player trade will help all the teams involved according to the PBA commissioner.
“Good trades for all the teams. They acquired new players to fill in their needs and to complement their present strengths,†Salud told Philstar.com.
Dilinger will be available to return on August as no surgery was needed to repair his injured pelvic bone.
Anthony will be joining his fifth team since he was drafted by Air21 Express as the sixth overall pick in 2010. The Fil-Canadian forward was immediately shipped to Powerade Tigers on draft day (now GlobalPort Batang Pier) then briefly became a San Mig Coffee Mixer before finding his way to Barako Bull in another draft day trade before the season started.
Buenafe is expected to provide more scoring sock in the Energy Colas backcourt, which lost spitfire point guard Josh Urbiztondo last conference.