Call this a conspiracy theory, but let me cook for a bit.
There's a curious case brewing with the San Miguel Beermen.
Since dismantling their famed "Death Five," San Miguel has been riding a rollercoaster. They opened the Commissioner's Cup losing Vic Manuel and Terrence Romeo to Terrafirma, and now, reports say Simon Enciso is looking for a new team. To top it off, they missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2015 PBA Commissioner's Cup. If the 2024-25 season ended today, they'd hold the sixth pick in the 2025 PBA Draft (Season 50). The last time they drafted that high? 2013, when they originally had the fifth pick. But in classic PBA trade drama, Barako Bull—then the kings of conduit deals—flipped that pick to GlobalPort, who selected Terrence Romeo.
Ugh.
And speaking of old trades, remember 2008? Yeng Guiao surprisingly favored Carlo Sharma over Enrico Villanueva at Red Bull. It was odd—Villanueva was the bigger name, but Sharma was getting the minutes. Then boom: Red Bull sent Villanueva to San Miguel in exchange for newly-acquired Rommel Adducul. Seemed like a win-win until Adducul was flipped within hours to Purefoods for Don Camaso—a trade that might be one of the most lopsided in PBA history. Not long after, Red Bull’s championship dreams crumbled, morphing into Barako Bull, and eventually disbanding.
Now, I'm not saying NorthPort is on that same path, but something feels off with San Miguel. If the Starhorse acquisition is legit and Terrafirma's player dumps are on pause, could the NorthPort "harvest" for the Beermen take place? It’s speculative, but this is shaping up to be one of San Miguel's roughest seasons in recent memory.
NorthPort, despite a recent semis appearance, is walking a thin line. They lucked out with Kadeem Jack, who’s now Rondae Hollis-Jefferson's strongest rival for the Best Import award. But look at Cade Flores. During his rookie year, he was on a near Rookie of the Year trajectory—until Zavier Lucero arrived. Now, with Lucero gone to Magnolia and JM Calma injured, you'd think Flores would be back in the spotlight. But his minutes are down. Maybe it’s Jack's impact, but Flores' absence was noticeable, especially when NorthPort was scrambling against Ginebra in the semis.
Also, Jio Jalalon? Missing in action for all but one game this conference due to back issues. NorthPort’s roster is starting to look thin. Meanwhile, San Miguel could use a veteran point guard to slide Juami Tiongson back to the two-spot.
Just a thought.
Maybe I’m overthinking it—blame it on the late hours and San Miguel's less-than-great chocolate lager. But let's be real: the PBA feels stronger when teams like San Miguel and Magnolia step back and give independent squads their moment. Still, it’s hard imagining San Miguel taking it slow, especially when June Mar Fajardo is playing like an MVP and outperforming their last seven imports combined.
Or maybe I’m downplaying the inevitable San Miguel resurgence. After all, their 2015 playoff miss wasn’t because of weak locals—it was because they picked the wrong import.
It didn't help that Snow Badua also hinted at this on his social media page.
There's growing speculation about Arvin Tolentino being traded to San Miguel, possibly in exchange for an aging player, some picks, and a couple of benchwarmers. Jeron Teng would be a solid pickup for Northport, but I don’t see them parting ways with AT unless June Mar Fajardo or CJ Perez is involved. Fran Yu, meanwhile, is likely off the table—beyond being Bonnie Tan’s trusted court general, his numbers don’t quite fit Northport’s rebuilding needs.
Will Navarro, on the other hand, seems to be a good idea. The former Ateneo standout is on an expiring contract and would benefit greatly from a San Miguel upgrade. Evan Nelle is another intriguing piece—while he still needs development, the ex-DLSU guard has the potential to grow into the kind of playmaker San Miguel currently lacks, someone in the mold of Olsen Racela or Alex Cabagnot.
As for what the Beermen could offer, a package of their 2025/S50 first-round pick, Avan Nava or Jeron Teng, and possibly Marcio Lassiter might be on the table.
If this deal goes through, however, it would only reinforce Northport’s reputation as a farm team.
That narrative could shift if they manage to acquire the rights to Dave Ildefonso.
The former Ateneo forward is a capable second-generation talent with international experience, but if the team isn’t interested in utilizing him, then any return on investment would be a win.