After Santos, SMB trades Cabagnot
MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Beer’s roster upgrade coming off two failed PBA Philippine Cup bids continued as the Beermen officially acquired 30-year-old guard Simon Enciso from Terrafirma yesterday while parting ways with veteran playmaker Alex Cabagnot.
Enciso, who averaged13.7 points, 4.1 assists and 2.8 rebounds in the last All-Filipino with Blackwater prior to getting traded to the Dyip, took over the spot of the long-time SMB mainstay in a one-on-one trade approved by the PBA yesterday.
The Beermen have been making major tweaks of late, parting ways with not one but two mainstays of their dreaded “Death 5” this week. Prior to the 38-year-old Cabagnot’s departure, the former five-peat Philippine Cup champs shipped seasoned forward Arwind Santos to NorthPort in exchange for Vic Manuel.
Infusing fresh legs into the multi-titled lineup led by June Mar Fajardo, Chris Ross and Marcio Lassiter is apparently the main agenda of SMB.
Enciso joined the battle-scarred Ross and young guns Terrence Romeo and CJ Perez in the star-studded SMB backcourt. Manuel, 34, replaced Santos, 40, in the powerhouse frontline bannered by Fajardo and Mo Tautuaa.
Dyip sophomore Roosevelt Adams was initially considered to be part of the Cabagnot trade package but new talks surfaced online that the former top draft selection may be headed to Barangay Ginebra.
Cabagnot, meanwhile, is expected to provide leadership to Terrafirma’s youthful crew led by Joshua Munzon and Juami Tiongson even as he reunites with former SMB teammates Matt Ganuelas-Rosser and Gelo Alolino.